


Bakeries and Diners

by fridarules, naniquena



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alive John Winchester, Alive Mary Winchester, Alternate Universe - Bakery, Anal Sex, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bakery Shop Owner Gabriel, Big Bang Challenge, Fluff and Smut, Gay Sex, M/M, Male Homosexuality, Sabriel Big Bang, Sabriel Big Bang 2016, TV presenter Sam Winchester, side destiel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-17
Updated: 2017-03-17
Packaged: 2018-10-07 00:39:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 34,631
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10348443
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fridarules/pseuds/fridarules, https://archiveofourown.org/users/naniquena/pseuds/naniquena





	

 

They say that when life gives you lemons you make lemonade… Well, no, they can suck their lemonade because I call bullshit. What if you don’t feel like drinking lemonade or just downright hate it?

 

You know what I mean, sometimes lemonade is not sweet enough to satisfy your sweet tooth or  the other lemon usual uses are out of the table since you can’t drink mojitos, caipirinhas or tequila shots because you’re a responsible business owner or something close to that… ok, it’s probably just because it’s close to midnight in a week day and you have to cook bread in like five hours and bake cookies at six in the morning. Still the lemons are right in front of you, tempting and challenging at the same time. The bastards.

 

That’s why when life gives you lemons you aim for something creative, you make beautiful Lemon Curds, perfect lemon pies, and sweet and sour lemon cookies and then you sell them all.

 

Of course, being him a responsible business owner he cooks like a maniac, even if the idea of partying like a regular 46 years old person is always looming over him like a LGBT+ cloud. There are people working for him that need their jobs and that’s why he knows he’s gotta suck it and see life pass him by.

 

He can’t complain though, because as demanding as the bakery is, it’s doing great. Having his brother and sister working with him is a plus, of course. He loves his siblings and, right from start, this was supposed to be a family business. Goal achieved.

 

But there’s something else that’s keeping him working like maniac, stressed and delighted, excited and anxious.

 

Last month he was contacted by the local TV network. One Thursday afternoon, a producer showed up with a proposition. They wanted to shoot a segment of their popular _Bakeries and Diners_ show right here in his humble establishment. It was something he’s always dreamt of, his place was well known in the local community but this kind of publicity, provided everything went smoothly, could put them on the interstate map.

 

He was terrified.

 

So today, after several hours of unsuccessfully trying to get his beauty sleep, the crack of dawn finds him baking bread and rolling cookies to make sure the display trays are full at opening.

 

“What the hell, Gabriel!” Sarah enters the bakery at 7AM shocked to find her brother standing numb, eyes circled by a dark shadow and stress pouring through his pores. “How long have you been here? You were supposed to come in late today! It’s important that you’re rested!” she admonishes him, nodding at Castiel to hang his coat and come to their side quickly.

 

“I… uhm, since 2AM I think. I couldn’t sleep. The idea of something going wrong kept me awake and worrying so I figured what the hell, I’ll go and get the trays refilled with fresh cookies and flavored bread. Everything should be perfect…” Gabriel commented in low voice, as he busied himself with cleaning underneath the countertop.

 

“Gabe. Gabe, stop and listen to me!” She made her brother turn to face her by taking him by the shoulder, “You look like crap, if you keep this you won’t be able to do shit on camera!” she takes the rag from his hand and, giving him a pitying look, she ordered, “Go upstairs and get some sleep right fucking now!”

 

“Hey! I’m your elder, show me some respect and no pity look. I’ll be awesome, as usual, you just wait and see.”

 

“What’ll happen is that you’ll drop dead in the middle of the filming if you don’t take at least a nap,” Castiel pushes him out, untying his apron and tells him, “Go home and take a two hours nap, take a shower and come down around nine. They won’t start shooting until eleven. They said they want to film the lunch rush and then film you making cookies from scratch.” she opens the door to the first floor where Gabriel lives and orders, “Take a nap, Gabe, we can handle the bakery for a couple of hours.”

 

“Gosh, when did you two become such bullies?” he snarls and Cas arcs one eyebrow in disbelief, “Okay, I’ll go home but I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep.”

 

“Do some breathing exercises, rest your body at least. Take a shower and go to bed, the sleep will come eventually.” Sarah instructs.

 

“Okay, _Mom and Dad_! I’ll obey!” Gabriel replies with a grin and a mocking tone.

 

“Yeah, like we care.” his siblings reply at unison, laughing at him and pushing him up the stairs.

 

* * *

 

When Gabriel’s head finally hits his pillow he melts away, he wouldn’t remember how he got there, he doesn’t remember taking the stairs , he doesn’t remember unlocking the door, or even taking a shower if it wasn’t for the cool sensation of his skin against the sheets.

 

Consciousness fails him the second he closes his eyes and he’ll be surprised once awaken from the nap, but he actually got some rest. As soon as his alarm sets off he mechanically dresses in the clothes he had ready especially for this day and goes back down, overjoyed but anxious at the same time. The second he opens the door, his eyes goggle some broad shoulders, long legs and an ass to die for, that seem to be calling his name. He sees they guy talking to another man. Being Gabriel basically, well, Gabriel, he can’t help but to whistle as he goes by.

 

“Gabriel!” Castiel admonishes him, taking his brother by the elbow and dragging him to a corner, “None of that! He’ll sue you for harassment!”

 

“But Cassie!” Gabe whines, “Look at him…” he nods at the tall guy over his left with a wide grin he just can’t supress, “How could I not?”

 

“Gabe,” Castiel says patiently, as if talking to a child, “I can accept he’s aesthetically beautiful but I don’t see the necessity to whistle. Although I’d whistle to the cameraman without a second thought…” he points out, discreetly eyeing the slightly shorter man talking to Gabriel’s focus.

 

“Maybe if you like bowed legged guys,” Gabriel says unimpressed by the cameraman’s good looks. “Or dull green eyes and freckles all over the face… not my type, though.”

 

“Well, your loss. And I don’t care if the tall guy is made in heaven for your own pleasure, you won’t harass the TV crew. And that’s final!”

 

“But Cassie…!” Gabriel complains.

 

“I said you won’t. Invite him AFTER the filming is over. Now none of that until then!” Castiel’s tone final, trying to keep the serious demeanor despite wanting to laugh at the pout in his brother’s mouth.

 

“You are no fun, brother.” he sticks out his tongue to Castiel, and shrugs as he crosses his arms in front.

 

“Whatever. Behave!”

 

-

 

“You heard a whistle?” Dean asks, amused.

 

“I did, Dee.” Sam distractedly answers while checking the schedule for the day.

 

“Who does that anymore?”

 

“I don’t know, Dean.” he locks the Ipad screen, not really interested in his brother’s observations, “If you don’t mind, you need to finish setting the camera so I can go to do makeup and hair.”

 

“Oh right, yes bitch. The big ass presenter needs his beauty parlor time.”

 

“Jerk.” Sam laughs out.

 

“Hi, I’m Sam” Dean keeps working on the lights and the settings of the camera while Sam approaches the cafeteria crew. “I’ gonna be the one making the on camera interview,” He shakes everyone’s hand and shuffles the papers in his hands, looking for the list with their names. “So, uhm…” he struggles to find the owner’s name on the papers.

 

“Hi, Sam.” a gravely voice intervenes noticing Sam’s struggle, “I’m Castiel, and this is my brother Gabriel, proud owner of this place.” Extending a hand to shake, he nods over his left to his brother.

 

Sam smiles, relieved to have the name path cleared and thankful to find the people at this location is nice and easy going, “Pleased to meet you, Castiel.” he’s moving to Castiel’s left, hand ready to shake Gabriel’s but he finds himself with a handshake and trapped in a semi hug by a short sandy haired man.

 

“I’m Gabriel, hot stuff, but you can call me Gabe.” The funny guy seems to grow in size as he flirts with Sam, “Or, you know, whatever you like…”

 

“Gabe!” Castiel’s chastising tone unmistakable.

 

“What?” Gabe replies amused at Castiel’s reproving look, decided to give his brother a hard time in retaliation for making him take a nap, however needed.

 

“It’s okay, Cas.” Sam’s hand lands on Castiel’s shoulder, and Gabriel begins to think of the logistics of killing his brother for stealing his boyfriend-to-be, “I think I can handle him.” Sam finished with that twitch of the corner of his mouth that usually makes the phones ring crazily at the station with men and women trying to get his contact information. Hot brat smirk, his brother calls it.

 

“Cas?” arching one eyebrow, the deep voice asks, barely believing his ears.

 

“Uh?” the host, confused for a second, lifts his eyes from the paperwork again, “Oh, sorry! I have the tendency to shorten people’s names… bad habit of mine. Sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable.”

 

“No, that’s okay, Sam. But as for handling _him…_ don’t be so sure… No one I’ve ever met has been able to _handle_ him…”

 

Sam chuckles and that makes Gabe jealous as shit for the easiness of his interaction with his brother, “Well, Cas… in a minute I’ll introduce my brother to you, then you’ll understand…”

 

Castiel smiles, feeling no vibe other than the one he feels around his siblings, which is great.  “Okay, Sam, if you say so…”

 

“Anyway, back to business. I’ll need one of you behind the counter and another walking the tables. Would you mind be at the counter, Cas? I think you’ll look good on camera like that…” Castiel nods so Sam turns to the lady next to him who’s been quiet so far, “And you… I’m sorry, we haven’t been introduced…” he trails off, inviting the lady with a smile to introduce herself.

 

“Hi, I’m Sarah, these two morons’ little sister.” she shakes his hand with a broad smile of her own.

 

“Hi, Sarah, pleased to meet you. Is it okay if I ask you to walk the tables?” and right there his charming puppy eyes come to live and it’s a good thing that Dean is still working on the lighting or he’ll never see the end of it.

 

“Fine by me!” she salutes jokingly. But she knows how important this is for her brother’s business so she was already ready to go for anything she was asked, as long as she got to keep her clothes on. Something odd must have shown in her face because the three men were watching at her questioningly until she shrugs.

 

“Okay, then,” Sam clears his throat, “We’ll be filming during lunch time and then we’ll be focusing on _Gabriel_ ’s kitchen skills,” he stresses the owner’s full name with a teasing smile, “you’ll be able to shock us with your, uhm, abilities.” he lets the image sink into the funny short man’s head and then he finishes raising his voice a tiny bit, as wrapping up the improvised meeting, “Any questions?”

 

Sarah raises her hand, half teasing half unsure whether the question would upset Sam or not, she gives it a try anyway, she’s her brother’s sister, after all, “You said you’re the on-camera-guy but you’re acting like the producer… why?”

 

“That’s a fair question not many people asks. We’re a small filming company, just four guys. My brother Dean, currently doing sound and camera, Jess on the wardrobe, makeup and hair, Benny, who’s usually helps Dean with the cameras and does basically all the heavy lifting and me, I’m the producer, the frontman and do all the paperwork … it works.”

 

“That’s awesome!” Gabriel intervenes, desperate for some attention from the guy of his dreams, regular and wet, “That means less names to remember,” he gives a naughty look at Sam, and the tall man feels like he’s devoured alive  He gets closer, to his siblings dismay, and purrs, “Any boyfriend or girlfriend out there, Sammy?”

 

Sam towers over him, unflinched by the shorter man’s shameless advance, “First, the only one allowed to call me Sammy is my brother and that’s because he’s a moron and won’t stop doing it even if I asked,” he counts, “Second, we got work to do, mister. And third, the answer to that…” he looks even deeper into Gabriel’s eyes, “that’s something you’ll have to figure out.” he winks, taking one step back to distance himself from the owner’s short but overall presence.

 

“Okay!” a female voice calls their attention, “I need y’all in the makeup area, I’ll make you pretty for the camera. You choose who goes first.”

 

Sam and Gabriel are staring at each other, Castiel is glaring at Gabriel, Sarah looks at the three morons around her and holds up a hand. “I think I’ll go first, so these three fine gentlemen here can finish their staring contest.” She goes through the bundle of the three men, taking the chance to kick Gabriel’s ankle as she goes by.

 

Sam snorts when Gabriel yelps and tries to grab his sister by the hair and being unable due to Castiel holding him in place and giving him a warning look. Clearing his throat, Sam tries to distract them from their family funny dynamics.

 

“Since Sarah’s first for makeup and hair… Gabriel, why don’t you show me your kitchen?”  

 

Gabriel beams at the prospect of showing that tower of a man his domains. They enter, side by side and Sam’s speechless for a moment at the sight of the room. “Gabriel, this is… this is a beautiful kitchen…” and Gabriel’s chest swells with pride.

 

“Thanks, Samkins,” Gabriel blushes, and Sam guesses it’s something not really usual for the guy, “I spent months planning it… we had to built it from scratch since it’s an old building but it was worth it. Took me six months and a shit ton of money but it’s my dream come true.”

 

“Well. If you don’t mind me saying…” Sam begins to look around, “We’ve been doing ‘Bakeries and Diners’ for a while now, and this is the most beautiful kitchen I’ve seen, I mean… I can’t boil an egg but I can appreciate a nice kitchen…”

 

Gabriel stands close to him, as Sam walks around the kitchen, “Sammy, last couple of years this other guy was the presenter… Can’t remember his name… what happened to him?”

 

“Oh… Michael, yeah he.. He had a better job offer and decided to take it.” Sam replies totally unconvincing.

 

“And I suppose that’s the whole story?” of course Gabriel was not buying it at all.

 

“Not really.” okay, what’s with him and releasing too much information? Sam figuratively slaps himself in his mind.

 

“And…” Gabe tested, “and you won’t tell me.” he finished, rather disappointed.

 

“Not my story to tell, you see…” Sam puts the kitchen’s hot line area in between them and leans on his elbows.

 

Gabriel mirrors his position and leans closer to him over the stainless surface and smirking he guesses, “That means there’s sex and tears involved, uh?”

 

Sam seriously seizes him for a second, then he bursts in laughter, “I’m sorry… I was thinking about the story and tears is not the best way to describe it…”

 

“Hu… I see,” Gabriel starts to circle the central area, toying with utensils with the hope to make Sam think he’s actually doing something kitchen related instead of prying, “So, no tears… that rules Jess out, I suppose… she seems to be a sweet girl.”

 

“Oh she’s sweet enough but she can also kick your ass if she feels like it…”

 

“I bet she can,” Gabriel says distractedly using a table cloth to clean the already clean counter surface. “So summing it up, it’s not your story and it’s not Jess’... that leaves your brother or that other man but I saw him checking my little sister so that makes him straight as a pole… that leaves only your brother… how are my detective skills?”

 

“Very good for a pastry chef and yet…” he trails off, zipping up his lips with a gesture, “As I already said it’s not my story to tell so if you wanna know so bad, go and ask him…” Sam shrugs the matter off.

 

“You know? Maybe I will…” Gabriel loves a challenge.

 

“Well… let me know in advance. That’s gonna be something to see.” Sam straightens his posture a bit and turns around to have a better view of the place, filming wise. “So, what are you cooking?”

 

“I was thinking our signature cookies and maybe some cheesy bread so I can make sandwiches.”

 

“Sounds good. You’ve got everything prebaked or whatever the word it is.”

 

“It’s called mise en place but prebaked is good, Sammy. And yes, I got the bread dough waiting and some bread ready to cook and some already cooked. Cookies can be made in ten minutes and cooked in 18 so I was thinking we could make them from scratch.”

 

“That’ll be fine. Now let’s go back in there so Jess can put makeup on us and do our hair.” Sam invites him to follow as he’s leaving the kitchen.

 

“Why? You see anything wrong with my face or hair?” he throws a incredulous look at Sam.

 

“No, Gabriel,” Sam’s patience’s put to a test, “It’s just a standard procedure. You don’t want to look pale on camera, do you?”

 

Gabriel burst into laughter, “You actually thought I was offended, didn’t you?” he pats Sam’s back, “Let’s go, I’ll let you do your work… hey, Jess! I’m ready! Paint me like a whore!” he yells, to his siblings dismay.

 

“No, no Gabriel, Jess won’t do that, I promise!” Sam hurriedly assures him.

 

“She won’t?” Gabriel turns with a disappointed look in his face, “And what’s the fun in that, then?”

 

Sam hides his face with the palms of his hands, shaking his head slightly. He lowers his hands and sighs, “Cas was right…” says, trailing off.

 

“About what?” Gabe winces.

 

“You _are_ impossible!” he deadpans.

 

“Neh, I’m perfect, Samsquash and you know it” he winks at Sam.

 

“Go, Gabe, just… go.” Sam manages to say in the wake of a migraine.

 

“Fuck yeah, finally!” Gabriel breaths out, marvelled at something Sam remains oblivious of.

 

“What?”

 

“Uh, nothing, Sam. I think Jess just finished with Cassie… my turn!” he turns around and speeds his steps towards the makeup area.

 

* * *

 

Sam stays put, eyes fixed on the man confidently walking towards Jess, too shocked by Gabriel’s cocky personality to shake himself out of his numbness quickly enough. Once Gabriel’s sit in front of Jess she gives Sam a quick glance, obviously reading his freaked out expression, he shakes his head and mutters to himself, “Oh, no doubt he’s trouble. Don’t go there, Winchester. Get the filming done first.”

 

“Told you that talking alone will get you to the shrink, Sammy!” Dean says from behind.

 

“Dean!” Sam protested, startled.

 

“Oh, you scared, baby bro?”

 

“I was just thinking out loud.” he turns around to glare at his brother’s sarcastic snort.

 

“What? You wanna go there?” he tilts his head to Gabriel’s.

 

“No.” he stops his brother cold.

 

“No what?”

 

“I’m not gonna play your little game, Dee.”

 

“Why not? I think the owner’s into you…” Dean opines lowering his voice to a secrecy level.

 

“ _You think_? he ‘s all over me, dude!” Sam can also be cocky from time to time.

 

“And you like it.” Dean accuses him.

 

“Yeah.” Sam breathes out before he can restrain himself, “shit.” he spats as he watches his brother’s smirk. Oh, he wants to slap him so bad.

 

“I can’t help teasing you, Sammy. You should know it by now this is a game I love playing”

 

“Yeah, well he’s fiery and hot, so sue me.” Sam recounts.

 

“I don’t know about that, bro, but I’m not looking for a boyfriend, so…” Dean makes a disgusted face.

 

“And talking about that…” Sam turns the tables, “When will I meet yours?”

 

“I don’t know. When hell freezes, I suppose.” Dean replies nonchalantly.

 

“Oh C´mon, Dean! You’ve been dating him for how long now?” Sam complains.

 

“Since Michael left me… well, two months after that.”

 

“Yeah, I remember those two months,” Sam shakes his head as if to chase away dreadful memories, “booth, boobs, some dicks too… dude, it was exhausting. I barely had any sleep with all the noises at night.” he reminds his brother, rather disapprovingly.

 

“Well, you could have your own place!” Dean admonishes him.

 

“I do! You’re living in _my_ house!” he snorts.

 

“Semantics.” Dean disregards.

 

“Jesus!” Sam mutters.

 

“What? Still talking alone, Sammy?”

 

“You finished with the lights?” Sam deflects.

 

“Like ten minutes ago. We’re waiting for you, big shot.”

 

Sam rolls his eyes at his brother sassiness and goes check on Jess.

 

“Tell Jess to cut your hair, Rapunzel!” Dean shouts after Sam.

 

“When I meet your boyfriend!” Sam replies.

 

“You promise?”

 

“Are you introducing him?” Sam shouts turning around to see Dean’s expression.

 

“Hell no!” Dean answers, scandalized.

 

“Ditto.” Sam exits the room leaving a laughing Dean, “I can play that game too, Dee.” he says as the door closes.

 

* * *

 

Sam sits on the empty makeup chair, rearranging himself a couple of times before leaning back on it.

 

“You’re nervous.” Jess begins to comb his hair, massaging his scull.

 

“Why would I be?”

 

“Uhm I don’t know…” she uses the airon to take some of the frizz out of his hair, “First time in front of the camera, maybe?”

 

“Not my first gig, Jess.”

 

“But first time as a presenter, but with your looks and voice...” she trails off.

 

“Okay,” he finally acknowledges, “I might be a little nervous. I’m kinda rusty, you know…” and she did know.

 

Sam had always been the face of their company, the producer. He was the nexus between the network and the crew. Sam was the one looking for places to film and organizing their schedules, manage their finances. The younger Winchester could use his good looks and charismatic personality to get the best contracts with the network and before that, with any local station. Jess knows that, she’s been there since the beginning. The Winchester brothers were family men, no matter their own blood family was no larger than five members, their extended family was vast and as dedicated and their own parents. Jess and Sam met in their first day in college and she immediately developed a crush on him but when she realize he was gay, the crush was quickly replaced by a strong friendship, and they never got apart again. She became a little sister to the boys and, with time, they only grew closer. She was there for Sam’s first heartbreak and for Dean’s last, even though the brothers have a completely opposite way of dealing with love desillusion.

 

She begins to apply foundation on him, smiling teasingly in a way that Sam’s suspicion about she and Dean talking behind his back only raises.

 

“The owner was all over you.” she tells him, now applying some eyeliner to frame his hazel eyes.

 

“He was, wasn’t he?” he welcomes the confirmation, “He’s something else, uh?”

 

She nods, “He’s your type… he’s got the fire you need in your life and he’s, you know… a guy…”

 

“Jess…” he sounds mortified, “Do you… I mean…” he stumbles with words as if afraid of finishing the question.

 

“What? Oh no! I’m okay!” Jess cuts him, “Don’t worry about me. It’s okay Sam, I’ve known you since college and yes, I had a crush on you once but then I realized you were gay so… besides Benny is an awesome partner. Trust me, I’m fine.” she affirms.

 

“Alright, but you know I love you, right? I don’t wanna hurt you.” he says, openhearted.

 

“I know, honey,” she tenderly replies, “we’re besties, we can talk about this.”

 

“Yeah, but we never do…”

 

“Well, at first I was kinda jealous but now I have Benny and I’m happy too so… Sam, stop worrying about me and talk!” she encourages him.

 

Sam takes a moment to seize her honesty and so he remembers who she is, who she’s been in the Winchesters lives. He remembers all the fun they’ve shared, the three of them, Jess, Dean and himself. All the weekends marathoning TV shows, the vacation times shared at the beach and that one time in Aspen. He remembers then the two of them are beyond a romantic relationship. They’re family.

 

So he looks around for any eavesdrops and speaks.

 

“He’s hot. And for the little we talked, he’s fiery and sassy…”

 

“And you loved it!” she concludes.

 

“Yeah, a lot. It’s not time for that though, we’ve go a show to focus on. Maybe after it’s over…”

 

She hums as Sarah brings coffee for them and Jess begins to work on his hair. Sam’s hair is the reason she’s the one in charge of the hair and makeup deparment of their company. When they first started to hang around in college she used to compliment his hair, laughing at her own jealousy, but seriously, the guy had such a great hair it was just not fair. She used to dream of children with his hair and dimples until she realized he was gay. When they grew up she started to help Sam with his hair before his dates with random guys. That’s how she realized she was good at it and that she liked it. Dean was reluctant for a while before he conceded her cutting his hair. So this is her job now.

 

“God, I still love your hair so much, it’s so easy to get it perfect. I tried to tame Castiel’s hair for a good half an hour and I only managed to make it worse. Then I realized he’s got this _I’ve just got laid_ kind of hair and I quit because it makes him look hot. His sister has good hair, I can tell she has a good stylist, and Gabriel… well, he’s got soft beautiful hair.” Jess continues her tale, for the sake of saying something innocent for the rest of the world while working on Sam, “Makeup on them was easy… well, not with Gabriel, dude couldn’t stay still for a moment but it was fun.” She grabs a hand mirror for Sam to check her work and smirking adds, “I think he’s a challenge you really want to take…”

 

They stare at each other for a while, serious look on their faces… until they burst into laughter.

 

“We’ll see about that after we finish filming this episode. I really hope we can wrap this up today… we don’t really have budget for much more.”

 

* * *

 

Lunch hour starts fifteen minutes after. Regulars were advised in advance so they could avoid looking at the cameras but the walk-ins were mesmerized by them and wouldn’t stop looking straight into them. Half an hour later the voice had spread and the place was crowded.

 

“I think we’ll be out of stock soon, Gabe.” Sarah joins her brothers behind the counter for a moment. She’s been walking the tables and taking orders to go on top of their breakfasts orders.

 

“Could you make more cookies or something, Gabe?” Castiel asks, after handling a bag of a dozen lemon cookies and tray of four coffees to go to a customer.

 

“Uhm, I could bake cookies and brownies but not much more than that. I got some bread on the freezer for this occasions, I could cook that but at this rate I don’t think it will last long.” Gabriel worries, “We’ve never went out of stock before… I don’t know what to do, f-” he’s suddenly aware of a camera pointing right at him all the time so he tries not to curse but he wants to so badly.

 

As Castiel and Sarah turn to continue working, he calls out for Sam to inform him that he’ll have to disappear into the kitchen, “I’d be embarrassing if we run out of stock in the middle of the day.”

 

Sam nods his understanding, looking at the way the customers seem to be taking double orders of everything, he knows Gabriel is right. “Don’t worry, it’s okay. I’ll send Benny to follow you for a while. Once you got everything going, he’ll come back to the floor.”

 

Gabriel won’t wait for the camera though, he turns around on his hills and enters the kitchen and rapidly begins to set everything he needs on the central aisle. Flour, eggs and a big bowls on the ready, Gabriel sighs and begins doing his magic.

 

Sam looks transfixed, Gabriel’s moving easily around his domain and in no time the first tray of cookies is in the oven. Sam knows he should be going to the front but he remains a little bit longer. Benny notices but he says nothing, he won’t risk upset his girl’s surrogate brother. Sam leans on the furthest wall, watching Gabriel work, he definitely has something in him, something that makes Sam want to help him even if he can’t cook to save his life. Maybe Gabriel could teach him one day. That would be a good way to make sure he’ll see the baker again.

 

“You know, Sam?” Gabriel says, startling him, “I could use a hand here, since you’re not going to do your job outside…”

 

“Ehm, told you, I can’t cook.” Sam apologizes.

 

“But you can put trays in the oven, right?” The baker teases without interrupting the cutting of cookies.

 

“That… yes, that I can do.”

 

“Great! See that oven on the back? The one rotating.” he says without looking on the ovens direction, “don’t worry, it’ll stop rotating once you open it.” Sam nods so Gabriel instructs him, “Take these trays and put them in that oven, please.”

 

“Aye-aye, chef!” Sam salutes.

 

“I’m not a chef, Sam, I’m a baker.” he corrects him, “Please take one tray at a time but hurry so the oven won’t lose that much temperature.” Gabriel adds flour to the dough but it’s not enough, “Sam go to the pantry and bring me four pounds of flour and three of brown sugar.” he begins to prepare the trays, “Sam…” he calls out when Sam had already started walking to the pantry.

 

“Yes, Baker?”

 

“Here.” he hands him two containers, “each container has its own spoon, the sugar and the flour are in big containers, you’ll need to measure them.”

 

“Oh… ‘kay.” smiling, Sam takes the offered bowls and strides to the pantry. When he comes back Gabriel’s got more bowls for him to bring other things.

 

“One pound of dark chocolate, two pounds of white sugar, four pounds of chocolate chips and two dozen eggs from the pantry and a block of butter from the fridge.” nodding, Sam turns around to do as instructed but pivots at Gabe’s question. “Are you gonna remember everything?”

 

“Of course! I got excellent memory!” he assures him, heading again to the pantry.

 

“And Sam!” he calls out to him, “... thanks.” Sam shrugs sheepishly and blushes despite knowing the camera is taking the whole interaction. They stare at each other for a second and then Gabe remembers Benny, “Now go!” he urges, “I got a lot to do.”

 

Dough in process, Gabriel’s focused on his trays controlling the oven and trying to forget the camera is taking every single movement he makes. He was told at the first interview that he should be himself when they were filming, Gabriel was sure none of the network people or Sam Winchester knew his true self could be as amazing as special, outrageously special. To hell with that, he’s extremely awesome. In fact so awesome that most people don’t get him. But Sam… Sam seems to enjoy it. He hopes he does.

 

“Gabe?” Sam shakes him from his daydream, “I’m gonna go change, I got my shirt all covered with something.” he frowns inspecting his own chest.

 

“Flour or chocolate?” Gabe asks without looking up from the table in front of him, hands in the dough.

 

“It’s white…” Sam trails off, trying to clean his shirt with his flour covered hand. Gabriel runs past him and comes back with a brush in hand.

 

“Stay still.” he orders as he brushes Sam’s clothes. Taking a step back and admires the view, “As gorgeous as ever.”

 

“Thanks, man! But what’s the difference if it’s flour or chocolate?”

 

“That’s easy. Flour is easy to clean, in a way. Chocolate… chocolate’s a bitch. You can’t brush it, it’d only make it worse… impossible to dry clean but oh so sweet…” he leans forward and whispers, “Just like you…”

 

“God, you’re impossible even while baking…” Sam shakes his head disapprovingly.

 

“I’m not impossible… I’m perfect!” Gabriel complains.

 

“Yeah, you already said that.” Sam tries to sound nonchalant but he can’t help the smile that creeps on his face. He returns to the front of the bakery and Dean begins to follow him.

 

“We’ve seen Baker Gabriel doing his magic in the kitchen, Castiel taking orders to go and Sarah working the tables.” Sam says to the camera, “Now, let’s hear what the customers think of this place, the service and the food…”

 

All the nervousness from earlier about the first time in front of the camera, filling Michael’s perfect shoes, flew out of the window as soon as he began to talk with the customers. His natural charisma and childish smile, charme the people. Sam thinks that the time he spent in the kitchen with Gabriel helped him to relax. So he walks around the tables and the customers, mostly regulars at this time of the day, give their opinion about the bakery and its owner. They love the place.

 

In time, new batches of cookies, bread and sandwiches arrive to the counter and are sold almost immediately. Sam is amazed, not only because of the amount of goodies that were sold but also because the Novak brothers never lost their good mood. People seem to like them a lot, and they never stop smiling back at their customers.

 

Once the lunch rush hour is over, the bakery closes temporarily to film the actual cooking part of the show. The schedule for the day was advertised on a blackboard on the street wall for about a week, so most people -the ones that actually pay attention-  were aware of this, some were not and Benny has to ask a bunch of them to get away from the front window where they pile up to take a look at them working inside.

 

While Dean, Sam and Gabriel are in the kitchen, Castiel and Sarah are getting everything ready for dinner time. Sam’s having the time of his life.

 

Gabriel seems a fish in the water, swimming through questions and observations with practiced ease. He explains everything clearly, looking straight into the camera and smiling coyly. He goofs  around but keeps control of his language, for which both Winchersters thank the Lord. In the few hours they’ve been at the bakery, Gabriel had proven to be a mouthy little shit and Dean wanted to script the whole segment but Sam saw beyond. Gabriel was far from stupid, his bakery’s a family place, foul language would only give him bad publicity. Sam can’t help to have an awe expression when Gabriel answers his questions, and when it’s his turn to talk he does it with a smile he can’t control. Dean notices and smiles to himself. Gabriel’s siblings, who’ve joined them in the kitchen when they’d finished with the tables, notice too. All three smile at the interaction. The thing is that their mood is contagious, and the room atmosphere turns light and bright.

 

Sam likes the cook, he likes him a lot. He’ll ask him out on a date but only after the whole segment of the show is finished. At least that’s his plan.

 

“It’s a wrap!” Sam exclaims when the last batch of cookies comes out of the oven. Dean lowers the camera after taking a close up to the steaming cookies.

 

“Eating time!” Gabriel proclaims and begins to take food out of the fridge, “I’m starving!”

 

“Awesome!” Dean cheers, always happy to eat for free, “But I got a question,” he spins around to check the tables and opens the kitchen door to check on the pastry displays finding none of what he’s looking for, he tsks and shakes his head disapprovingly, “Why isn’t there any pie? I mean, dude!”

 

“Because pie doesn’t sell as well as the mini stuff.” Gabriel explains, matter of factly leaving Dean in shock.

 

“People’s weird,” Dean states, “Pie’s awesome.” he very seriously adds.

 

Gabriel nods his agreement while slicing some bread for sandwiches, “Yeap, but you gotta give people what they want,” he shrugs, smiling to himself as he sees Dean stealing a cookie from the cooling grid “I still make mini pies and mini quiches once a month or by order.”

 

“Well, call me when you have pie for sale. Because these cookies are awesome, dude, I wanna know what your pies taste like.”

 

“My brother’s food is first class, Dean.” Castiel joins the conversation.

 

“I can tell, Cas” Dean manages to speak through a mouthful of cookies, “You have to try this, man!” he shoves a cookie into Castiel’s face.

 

“I’ve already tried everything Gabriel bakes, Dean. But please, help yourself to anything you want!” Castiel offers.

 

“No! Cas don’t!” Sam pleads, almost shouting, startling Castiel, “Don’t encourage him! He’ll eat the whole bakery!”

 

“You need to try some goodies too.” he invites Sam to choose from a plate. “Why shouldn’t let Dean eat all he wants? If he enjoys it, I say we let him.”

 

Sam won’t take any muffins from the plate Gabriel is holding in front of him but he’d prove his point by pointing at Dean and accusing, “Because he lives in my house and I’ll be the one dealing with him when he feels sick.”

 

“Hey! Just because none of these are healthy enough for you doesn’t mean I can’t have any!”

 

“Shush, Dean!” Gabriel dismisses him, “I’m working on it.” he charges back against Sam, flirting “You could always stay with me.”

 

“Oh, really?” rogish, Sam raises an eyebrow, “And what would we be doing, if I may ask.” he weavers his eyebrows and winks at Gabriel.

 

Not a single sound is heard in the kitchen, not even people breathing, Dean has stopped chewing, Castiel is caught in the middle of leaving the tray on the table, Jess has a cookie in the ready to be bitten, Sarah stays openmouthed but none of them move. Sam and Gabriel don’t seem to notice, though, eyes fixed on each other’s.

 

“You want a list, Samskins?” Gabriel deadpans.

 

Sam smirks and steps closer, “Well… I could use one.”

 

Jess and Sarah snort and Dean and Cas groan at unison, the first three play the _don’t see- don’t hear- don’t say_ monkeys and Castiel’s tilting his head wincing like saying _really?_. He snaps out of his shock and waves his hands to call Sam’s attention, “No, Sam, please don’t encourage him. You won’t be able to get rid of him.”

 

Sam won’t take his eyes from Gabriel’s, “What if I don’t want to?” he winks at Gabe again, his lips crooking up. Dean recognizes his posture, it’s his own version of the peacock dance. Dean knows his brother is not gonna give up.

 

Castiel holds both hands up in surrender, “In that case, by all means, carry on!” he concedes, “Don’t come crying I didn’t warn you.”

 

Dean takes half a cookie in his mouth and bites, looks at Jess and Sarah who are crossed arms leaning back on the counter side by side, watching the interaction with an amused look in their eyes, Dean turns to the two men again, tries to look away but the two idiots are so obvious and won’t stop goggling at each other in awe,  “Dude, gross, Sammy!”

 

“Says the man talking through the food in his mouth.” Sam deadpans but refuses to stop looking at Gabriel.

 

Dean swallows with a bit of trouble, “Bitch.” he spats and starts chewing the rest of the cookie, accepting a glass of water from Sarah.

 

“Jerk.” Sam replies as a reflex.

 

Dean smirks and drinks the water in one gulp, he winks his thanks to Sarah and cleans the crumbs of cookie from the side of his lips. When Benny enters the kitchen, he looks around drinking in the odd atmosphere in the room, he crooks an eyebrow at Jess looking for an explanation but the blonde shakes slightly her head as a promise to tell him later.

 

Dean takes the chance and patting Benny’s back he asks, “Would you finish loading the truck, buddy?” as he starts to walk towards the door, “I got a date in an hour.”

 

That’s the only thing that makes Sam look away from Gabriel, he turns around exasperated and }

furrows his brow, “Dude, you can’t put all the work in Benny’s shoulders!” he chastises.

 

“Nah, it’s okay,” Benny interferes, taking a cookie from the tray with one hand and holding Jess’ hand with the other, “I already knew, and I’ll make him pay, so it’s cool.” he declares, winning a middle finger from Dean as he leaves the room.

 

Castiel takes a dishcloth and begins cleaning the counter from scattered flour, but when his phone buzzes he throws the piece of fabric to Sarah and announces, “I got to go, I have this thing I told you before.” talking to no one in particular and rushing off from the kitchen.

 

“You go get ‘im, bro!” Gabriel shouts out after Castiel, “If I didn’t know my brother I’d say they’re going out together.” he whispers to Sam.

 

They turn to the sound of the swing door moving and they manage to catch a glimpse of Sarah’s back, looking around the kitchen they find themselves alone.

 

Sam sighs, “Yeah, my brother is dating someone and he refuses to tell me who, he’s bi so it could be anyone.”  

 

“Really?” Gabriel squints with suspicion, “Cassie is also dating someone and he won’t tell me his name either.” he punches Sam’s shoulder playfully, “We should spy on them.”

 

“Not sure about spying but we could follow them or check one of their houses. Dean lives with me, he has his own apartment but it’s rented, the fucker doesn’t like living alone.”

 

“Well, you’ve got yourself a date, Sammy!” Gabe joyfully declares and Sam loves the way his face lits up when he smiles. His eyes go small, one smaller than the other, surrounded by happy wrinkles, his ample forehead furrow when his eyebrows go up, his mouth open widely showing his small teeth… the fuck? Sam’s never felt so attracted to anyone in his lifetime. Let alone fall into a crush so suddenly.

 

Sam’s flustered and he has always hated to be left so open, so exposed, so he corrects him, “Don’t call me that,” he complains, and tenderly adds, “and when I take you on a date, and I will… it’s gonna be better than spying on those two idiots. I promise.”

 

Sam never thought it could be possible, but Gabriel smiles wider, “Oh, Samsquatch, of course you will… but not tonight, though. Tonight we’re on a mission.”

 

* * *

 

After the crew, meaning Benny, finished loading all their equipment into the truck and the bakery is sparkly clean, Sam and Gabriel leave the building decided to spy on their brothers. They say goodbye to Benny and Jess as they leave in the trunk and Sarah heading home to her boyfriend and her cat.

 

Alone at last, they linger in front of the bakery for a moment, neither sure of what to say. Gabriel breaks the awkward silence, “Where should we start?”

 

“Dean lives with me, so I doubt they’re gonna be there… let’s go to Cas’ place. What d’ya think?”

 

Gabriel smirks and invites Sam to hop in his car. They laugh all their way up to Castiel’s apartment, the teasing coming and going all the time so when Castiel’s apartment proves to be empty they’re not upset, they just happily get back to the car to keep on looking for them. Next stop, burger places.

 

They’ve discussed the matter for a while, Gabriel stated his brother loves books, bees, guinea pigs and burgers in that order; Sam said Dean likes pie, burgers, booze and Doctor Sexy, not necessarily in that order, he also sometimes reads but he’s no bookworm.

 

“So burgers it is. I know a couple of places Cassie loves, we could start there.” he tells him, already starting the engine as Sam nods and looks away through the window to hide his blush.

 

Gabriel babbling about whatever crosses his mind, nervous and cocky, amuses Sam but he knows they’re on a mission here so he begs, “We need to be quiet, Gabriel, I don’t want to suck as PI, you don’t know when these skills can be handy.” he quirks an eyebrow and looks sideways to the driver’s seat, “Can you do that?”

 

“Of course I can be quiet!” Gabe replies offended.

 

Sam tsks, “Dunno, man, you seem pretty loud to me.” he says shaking his head.

 

“I’ll show you loud…” Gabriel teases.

 

“Is that a promise?” Sam teases back.

 

“Betcha!” he winks, smirking.

 

Sam busts a laugh, “Yeah, I’ll hold on to that.”

 

* * *

 

As they arrive to the first burger joint Gabriel kills the engine and sighing he faces Sam sliding shut an imaginary zipper over his crooked up lips. They enter the place, but there’s no signs of their brothers so they exit and walk to the next burger place two blocks down. They walk in silence, sharing the peace of the night like old friends. Sam finds it refreshing, like a first date that’s not awkward because the guy is already your friend. Sam’s never felt so comfortable with another person. It’s kind of exciting and Sam finds himself more and more convinced that this thing they seem to be jumping in, it’s worthy.

 

“Damn! They’re sneaky!” Gabriel complains when their brothers are not found at the second place either, “and I’m starving.” he says making an embarrassed face at his stomach growling loudly.

 

“We could eat here, I know I could use a burger too.” Sam states already looking for a table, hiding an amused smirk at Gabriel’s apologetic look.

 

“You’re a lifesaver, Winchester. Spying on those idiots can wait another night.”

 

Sam starts walking towards a secluded table promptly followed by Gabriel. The menus are already on the table so they settle for their own favorite burger and beer to go with.

 

“I want a veggie burger.” Sam decides after quickly checking the menu..

 

“Oh, no… no no no no. A veggie burger is not a burger, man! I mean, it’s okay to top a burger with a lot of veggies but a burger made of veggies is not a burger… that’s it, I can’t date a veggie burger guy!” he disapprovingly shakes his head.

 

“Well, that’s a shame because I love veggie burgers.” Sam shrugs, unaffected.

 

“In that case, no dessert for you, mister.”

 

“Oh, is that so? And what d’you have in mind for dessert, if you don’t mind me asking?” Sam asks, not even trying to hide a cocky smirk.

 

“Apart from chocolate cake?”

 

“What, you’re thinking of ordering two desserts? What are you? A hobbit?” Sam jokes.

 

“This is not my second breakfast so no, I’m not a hobbit nor I was thinking of getting my second dessert right now.” Gabriel wiggles his eyebrows in a way that’s meant to be seductive… in his mind.

 

Sam represses a laugh, choking on his water. “Alright,” he concedes, “What if I change my order to a roasted veggies burger?” seeing the _are you kidding me_ expression on Gabriel’s face he quickly clarifies, “It’s a meat patty with a lot of veggies.”

 

“Too late, Samuel, too late.”

 

“Oh so now I can’t have a second dessert?” Sam fakes a pout.

 

“Well, you can have as many desserts you want but you can’t have this,” he points at himself, “veggies freak.” he murmurs jokingly.

 

Sam leans in and whispers, “Oh but Gabe,” he purposely sweeps his eyes over Gabriel, from head to chest and back, “I _will_ have all that.”

 

Gabriel’s voice falters a bit, he’d blame it on the walk to get here, he’s not quite ready to acknowledge the fire that bursts in his chest. “We’ll see… we’ll see. Now, here’s the waitress. Let’s order.” he lifts his hand to call the lady in a too pink uniform and flirts with her as she takes their order.

 

“For me… I’ll have a double heart attack.” he orders winking.

 

And she baits, “Double heart attack?”

 

“First heart attack for the double bacon cheese burger with jack and cheddar cheese with extra crispy onions and chilli cheese bacon fries. And the second one because of that beautiful smile of yours.”

 

It’s cheesy and dumb but Sam finds it endearing anyway, he manages to delete the silly smile that creeps up his lips in time to order himself, clearing his throat and frowning to mask his previous state of stupidity, “I’ll…I’ll have the roasted veggie burger with a side of onion rings and extra bacon.”

 

“Good!” she taps her notebook, “what you’re gonna drink, gentlemen?”

 

“Beer,” they say at the same time, “anything on tap.” they look at each other serious for a second and burst into laughter.

 

The waitress, Amy, rolls her eyes. She’s seen this a thousand times, it happens with lovers despite their gender. These two are together and there’s nothing in that table for her. From the distance she’d thought of flirting with the tall, goofy guy and then she found the shorter funny man and his flirting nice. But of course everything had to blow in her face. No pun intended… much.

 

“I’ll,” she starts to talk but the two men won’t pay any attention to her, “I’ll just go and place your order. Have a nice dinner.” she wishes them and turns on her hills to go and do that.

 

“Alone at last.” Gabriel suggestively says.

 

“Gabriel,” Sam sighs, pretending to be unamused, “we’ve been alone for the good part of the last hour and a half.”

 

“That doesn’t count, we were on a mission. Now it’s _us_ time.”

 

“True,” Sam agrees, “Let’s play twenty questions. So we can, you know, get to know each other.”

 

“Okay but I call veto for at least two questions… you seem a dangerous man and there’s some information about myself I can’t trust you with yet.”

 

“Fair enough. Your move.”

 

“Great!” Gabriel rubs his hands together and shoots, “Full name.”

 

“Samuel Tristan Winchester.”

 

“Age?”

 

“No no, it’s my turn, dude!” Sam admonishes him, “Why baker?”

 

“Uh you start easy. I love baking, as easy as that.”

 

“Yeah, I get that but you could have been a chef but you chose not to. You said so today in the kitchen. I’ve been wondering why.” Sam pushes.

 

“It’s my turn.” Gabriel points out without releasing any more info about the subject.

 

“You did not answer!” Sam complains.

 

“I did, you just didn’t like my answer.” he tells him, “I’ll keep my line of easy questions. Age?”

 

“34”

 

“You’re a baby.” Gabriel tenderly says as if speaking to an actual baby.

 

“I’m not!” Sam complains again,

 

“Yes, you are!” Gabe insists.

 

“Age?”

 

“46.”

 

“Oh, God. You’re sooo old!” Sam jokes.

 

“Just a little older than you.”

 

“Can you even get it up…” Sam begins his next question, raising an eyebrow, “your body off of bed?” he finishes.

 

“Is that the question? Because I think it’s my turn.”

 

“Answer it, Gabriel…”

 

“I can definitely get it up every morning and every afternoon… my body off of bed, of course. And I got two questions in a row now.”

 

Sam makes a go on signal with his hands, urging him to continue.

 

“Gay, pan, bi, aromantic, ace, gray, demi, poly, etc? Do you identify with any?”

 

“I’m gay. I like men, I like dicks. Love them, fuck them, kiss them, you name it. Never tried a poly relationship so I don’t know about that. How about you?”

 

“No no, not your turn yet.” Gabriel reminds him, “Let’s suppose you have to eat only one thing for the rest of your life, what would that be? And you have to be specific. Simply salad and pizza are no-no, you have to specify which salad or which pizza.”

 

“Oven fried chicken with hot as fuck dressing, garlic mashed potatoes and a green bean and carrot salad with blue cheese dressing.” Sam’s answer comes quickly and rather specific. “My turn.” he states while Gabriel is still trying to process the amount of food Sam’s just expressed as his favorite food and seems to be trying to remember where he’s heard that menu before and failing.

 

“Since there’s no comment on my food choice, I’ll go ahead and reiterate my earlier question. Why not a chef? The truth. That means the whole story behind your choice.”

 

“Nobody will ever say Gabriel Novak runs from a challenge.” he leans back comfortably on his seat and begins his tale, “As a kid I used to want to be a restaurant owner, Colonel Sanders kind of restaurant, create my own franchise and all. But as often happens, life strikes and dad died on a car crash when I was seventeen with two little siblings and a mom who could not cope. It was supposed to be my senior year and I had to make a decision.” the mood on the table turns serious at the recount of events but it doesn’t feel like mood killer only kind of intimate, “The insurance covered the funeral and six months mortgage but it left nothing left to put food on the table. Mom was in shock for a few months after my dad’s death so I had to do something. I tried to drop school to get a job but mom wouldn’t let me. I got a 9 hour night shift work in a shitty diner. It was the only place that would hire a 17 years old boy, and I hated it with all my guts. I started washing dishes and clearing tables, one day the owner asked me to help in the kitchen peeling potatoes and chopping onions and doing some mise en place stuff and I hated it but still, it bought food to the table and school stuff for the kids. I was exhausted, I barely slept and was tired 24/7, but I still managed to graduate and I kissed my college dreams good bye. Four years I worked there, until I was 21 and I started working in a bar. I had some fancy drinks skills and I got better tips and, you know, more men.” he pauses to drink the bitter sweet memory down with some water, “Sarah was a junior at school and Cassie was still a kid” he won’t look at Sam in the eyes, just feels the need to spill everything off so to confirm if his screwed past was gonna be a wall their future relationship would crash into, “but it was hard and I hated, not even the one night stands were worth the long ass shifts and late nights. Two years I managed to work there until one day a friend asked me for a birthday cake and I said yes. I used to do some baking for friends, I had to learn some baking, otherwise I wouldn’t had been able to afford any dessert for the kids. I had never baked a cake before though, it’d always been birthdays muffins at home. So there I was baking a cake for the first time, a decent one, even. My boyfriend’s friend, Balthazar had a bakery and he hired me as an assistant. It was hard, waking up at 3AM and leaving the bakery at 4PM. Man did I love it! The hours rolling dough, the smell of fresh baked bread, years of working magic. At 24 Balthazar loaned me the money to start bakery school, so for a year my day was work, study, and sleeping even less than when I was at the diner at 17. One year later I started to work at another bakery and by 38 I owned my own business and the rest you can guess by what you’ve seen today.”

 

Sam’s been listening in awe, amazed by this man’s history of tragedy, love and self personal growth. By the first look at him, Sam wouldn’t have guessed, what seems to be his usual cocky self is apparently a facade, a consciously built wall designed to stop the world from hurting him again. What’s there to say to this confession? He’s the one who’d asked, after all. But again, who would have guessed? Taking himself suddenly out of his calculating self, Sam smiles and says the only thing that he can think of, “Wow, you really love baking!”

 

“I do!” Gabriel relaxes, “It’s the only reason I keep waking up at 4AM everyday… except Mondays, on Mondays I sleep until way past noon. I gotta compensate, you see.”

 

Sam laughs, “I assume you’re not a morning person, though.”

 

“You can bet your ass I’m not.” Gabriel snorts, “My turn! Why TV?”

 

“Well, I wanted to be an astronaut but I’m too tall, so…” Sam offers as a perfectly valid explanation.

 

“You _are_ tall as a tree…”

 

“Right, I know every tall joke, Gabe. So, how do you designate yourself?”

 

“I’m Gabe.” Sam’s ready to correct him but Gabriel holds out a hand to stop him, “I know what you’re asking. I’m Gabe, I date whatever I find pleasurable. I like men, women, pan, ace, aromantic, you name it, I’ve date it. I’ve fallen for some, I couldn’t care less for others. I am able to have romantic feelings and I definitely have sexual desires…”

 

“Uh hu, so you’re pansexual _and_ panromantic?” Sam tries to make sense of Gabe’s definition of himself.

 

“Well, yes but no. I’m Gabe.” he begins as if that would explain it all, “I date more men than women but I don’t care the gender or the designation you’d fall into. I dated an bi ace woman once, we never fucked but she liked to cuddle and kissing and man! I was all over hills for her. We remained friends after we broke up. She now lives in Germany with her wife and two kids.” he recalls, “She was the harder to move on from and again, we’d never even had sex. After her I had a fuck buddy for a while, he just wanted to fuck, didn’t have any interest in cuddling or kissing and that was fine by me, he was exactly what I needed at the time.” Gabriel stops his recall of sex partners to allow Amy set their food and drinks on the table, and leave smiling a smile that guarantees a good tip. “Curtis is now a baker in France. So all in all, I’m Gabe, I like fine butts, dimples, big smiles and partners tall as a tree.”

 

They take the first bites of their burgers and after helping it down with a sip of beer, Gabriel takes a fry and continues, “I only once dated a person shorter than me, it was a lovely straight woman who wanted the husband, 2.5 kids and the white picket fence dream, but a pansexual panromantic boyfriend was too much for her. She’d kept asking if I missed men or if one day I’d like to have a threesome.”

 

“Maybe she was the one wanting one of those?” Sam ventures.

 

“She was and we tried. She was happy about it too. Only she just laid there watching. After that we had to split. She couldn’t handle me being me.” Gabriel shrugs as if it was not big deal and it wasn’t.

 

“Well, for the little I’ve known you you’re a quite a piece…”

 

“Hey, I’m perfect!” Gabriel almost chokes on an onion.

 

“Yeah, yeah, you keep saying that…”

 

“Cause it’s true! Now, my question: last partner.”

 

“Brady.” the answer comes quickly and nonchalant. Gabriel makes a face as if demanding to know more but Sam won’t bait. “Last partner and why you broke up.”

 

Gabriel ponders whether to press a more explicative answer to his last question but he decides against, getting answers out of this moose of a god in front of him promises to be fun, “Becky,” he informs, “She was, uhm, too much.”

 

“Oh! The voyeur?” Sam guesses.

 

“Yeap, but apart from that she was totally cuckoo.” he says in a rush, as if the woman’s state of mind was unimportant, “Why did you break up with Brady? And I want details, mister Mysterious.”

 

Sam makes a face, Brady is not something, someone, he voluntarily discusses with anyone, not even Dean if he can help it. But there is something about this little sandy haired man, something in those mischievous whiskey eyes that makes Samuel Winchester’s heart want to spill it all.

 

“He cheated on me. We’ve dated for three years in college, back when I wanted to be a lawyer.” he rapidly recalls before Gabriel has time to ask the question himself, “One day I came home early since one of my classes had been cancelled and I open the door to a kneeled Brady sucking my best friend’s cock, he… he didn’t even flinch, he looked up at me from his place at Luci’s feet and gave me a lascivious wink and continued to suck him up. Luci tried to stop him, at least the bastard had it in him to look a little contrite. I was frozen in place for about two seconds, my whole world just fell off the sky and I didn’t even know what to do. I just turned on my heels and left the place. I came back a few days later, grabbed all my stuff and went back home. Someone told me he’s still dating Lucifer. You could say they’re a match made in hell.”

 

Gabriel’s laugh was loud and honest, the hell joke was actually so funny that helped him save the question whether Lucifer was a nickname or not for after their little questionaire game. “So you’re saying that the bastard never said a word?” he asks instead and nobody could have said it’s a bad question.

 

“Nopes, never did and that was the excuse I needed to drop Law school since I had started to hate it. I’d been working as a model to pay for the part of the tuition that wasn’t covered by my scholarship. That I kept doing.” he sips his beer to swallow down a couple of fries, “As for Brady, I’ve never seen him again and never want to.”

 

“You were in Law school, you were how old?”

 

“23 but it’s my turn, stop cheating, Gabe” Sam bitchfaces him, chastising, “So it’s just you, Cas and Sarah. You’ve got more siblings? A mom?” he bites his burger as he finishes his question, purposely not looking at the other man’s eyes to avoid making him uncomfortable.

 

“Neh, just me, Sarah and Cassie. Mom died two years ago, a few weeks after we opened the new bakery.” he shrugs as if it’s not big deal, “Sarah always says she waited for us to be settled. You see, we think she never really recovered from my dad’s death… you could say they were a match made in heaven.”

 

“You miss her.” Sam stares at him intently, caring.

 

“Yeah, well, she was an awesome mom.” he offers, “after the rougher first years she was supportive, loving and more… I really miss her.” he calls himself to silence for a few seconds, obviously trying to move on from that memory that made him moody and melancholic, “Now, my turn, why not dating anyone for eleven years?”

 

“I do have sex, you know?” Sam clarifies for no reason in particular.

 

“I would assume. But back to my original question, why?”

 

“He hurt me, _they_ hurt me. How could I be so stupid? I trusted them so much I remained oblivious of the fact that they were being unfaithful.” Sam’s mouth twitches with something that might look as the hint of a smile to untrained eyes, but Gabe… well, Gabe may have just met the guy but he’s already learning to decypher the guy’s map of hidden expressions. “Some acquaintances told me later that it wasn’t the first time he had cheated on me. I supposed he didn’t break up with me instead because he thought that being my boyfriend would guarantee him a position in my dad’s firm.”

 

“Wait” Gabriel’s pose switches, suddenly alert, “John Winchester is your father?” he manages to say, obviously shocked at the detail.

 

“Yeah,” Sam concedes but frowns a bit at the question leaving him with a deja vu sensation. “Yes, he is and that’s two questions in a row for me.” Sam leans on his elbows on the table and cautiously asks, “What was the name of that bakery you loved baking at?”

 

“DeSaW” Gabe answers, confused at his new friend’s insistence on the subject. “I drove my car in front of the bakery last week and it’s still in the same place… that brought good memories back, I just loved both the place and Mary, the owner.”

 

Sam’s expression switches through a palette of feelings. Surprise, shock, amusement, wide eyes and mouth in awe, he covers it and babbles, “Oh my god! You… it was you… you’re… Oh God!”

 

“Sammy?” Gabe looks around and smiles sheepishly at some patrons that are observing them, “Sam, you’re freaking me out, dude.”

 

“Shit, Gabe, you don’t see it?” Sam shifts in place, suddenly obviously amused and Gabriel can’t understand why, “The D, the S and the W are capitals because they’re names, man.”

 

“Oh you know the place?” Gabriel loses his worried frown.

 

“Actually, I do…” Sam won’t let out anything else.

 

“So you must know Mary’s awesome cookies.”

 

“Yeah, her cookies are the best. But… do you remember a boy running around the bakery?”

 

“Mary’s kid? Yeah, I do remember him, I think he had a crush on me.”

 

“He did.” Sam confirms.

 

“Oh so you know… him, damn I can’t remember his name.” Gabriel confesses as he lifts his beer to ask Amy for two more.

 

“Sam, his name is Sam.” Sam offers, a knowing look in his eyes, as expecting for the coin to drop at any moment.

 

“What? Wait, what?” Gabriel’s mouth opens and closes in a rapid succession of gasps and little grunts as he tries to come to terms with the new information. “No way.”

 

Sam smiles and looks around to hide his grin, “Yeap.”

 

“No way!” Gabriel bursts a laugh, “Mary’s your mom? But her last name’s Campbell.”

 

“Yeah, well, that’s her maiden name, I was ten when they divorced.”

 

“DeanSamWinchester, that was the name… damn, I should have realized it!”

 

“Yeah, it was not that hard.” Sam jokes, “You know you were my first crush? I knew I was gay because of you.”

 

“Oh so now I made you gay?”

 

“No one made me gay, Gabe, I…” he gets cut out.

 

“I know, Sammy, I was joking.” then suddenly all the mirth leaves Gabriel’s face, “I’m too old for you, Mary will kick my butt if we keep this going. I… I can’t do this to her…” he starts searching for his wallet on his jacket inner pockets.

 

“Gabe, I’m an adult now.” Sam objects, realizing where this is heading to.

 

“I’m sure Mary’s gonna agree to that.” Gabriel sneers, despite himself.

 

“Look, you might have a memory of me back then, running around the kitchen and playing with that stupid grey war plane but I’m no longer that kid, I’m a man that makes his own decisions and my mom respects that.”

 

Gabriel ponders about Sam’s statement for a moment, he remembers Mary so well he just knew there’s nothing she’d care about more than her son’s happiness and Sam was already gay so… next thing to worry about was John Winchester, Sam’s father who he hasn’t met yet. Not that he wants to do it in the near future.

 

“I miss her.” he finally says, “We lost contact after I stopped working for her. Life goes on, I guess…”

 

“I know what you mean. Sometimes you think of doing something or visiting someone and you say next week then the other and you keep postponing it because you find yourself surrounded by a dozen tasks and appointments and then you just forget. It’s just life, Gabe, don’t worry.” Sam gives him a reassuring wink, “She’s gonna be happy to see you again, trust me.”

 

“Is it late?” Gabe asks out of nowhere.

 

“Pretty late, why?” Sam stiffens in place, worried that Gabe might want to end their date.

 

“To call her, I mean. I’d love to hear her voice again.”

 

“It’s not late for that. She stays up late since she stopped working morning shifts, like six years ago.” he huffs a little laugh, “Dean got his _not morning person personality_ from her, you see.”

 

“I remember. We were impossible to work with in the morning until we both had had our coffee at the kitchen. After that, everything was easy and perfect, like me.”

 

“Keep telling yourself that, maybe one day it’ll come true.” Sam teases, making Gabe laugh and relax.

 

“Call her.” Gabriel pleads after his own laughter subsided.

 

Sam won’t make him plead once more, he’s dialing his mother’s phone before he finishes his two words sentence.

 

“Hi mom!” he cheerfully greets her, “We’re fine, mom! No, we didn’t forget, we’re just too busy with the show right now… we told you! Look, I’m gonna put you on speaker,  someone wants to say _hi_.”

 

“Okay, if you wanted me to shut up just say it, Gosh!” Mary’s voice comes amused and chastising at the same time on the speakers.

 

“Mom, you’re already on speakers.” he teases, happy to win this and taking the weight of a visit cancel three times in the past month when the brothers were supposed to have dinner with their mom.

 

“Jesus! Sorry whoever’s there. Hi.”

 

“Hi Mary!” Gabriel’s grin could be heard on his voice.

 

There’s a couple of seconds of silence on the other side of the line, Gabriel shifted uncomfortably on his seat, sure now that Mary has forgotten him. He wouldn’t blame her, it was him gone with the promise to come to visit soon and never did. Reasons are not important now, not in the era of the mobile communication. Maybe this was not a good idea after all. Maybe he could just call it off, make a joke and say goodbye to both mother and son.

 

“I know that voice… a blast from the past, though. Is my mind playing tricks on me?”

 

Sam’s eyes haven’t moved away from Gabriel’s face, monitoring his every features, his reactions to the interaction. That’s why he smiles sweetly when Gabe’s face relaxed at Mary’s recognition. Gabriel wouldn’t notice, though, because his own eyes are fixed on the phone on the table in front of him, as if he was seeing Mary’s face.

 

“Still remember my voice, Marylambs, I’m flattered.” Gabriel, now more at ease, teases.

 

“Oh my Gosh! Gabriel!” she almost screams on the phone, “How are you, kid? Wait… You stopped calling! I should ground you! I’m grounding my two idiots of sons anyway. You could all clean the whole bakery together…”

 

Gabriel bursts a laugh, “Yeap, that’s the Mary I remember.”

 

“Don’t get cocky at me, Gabby.”

 

“Shit I had forgotten about that! You know I hated that nickname, right?” he conspiratorially says, just leaning over the phone a little to hear Mary laugh at that, she knew it so well, “I’m good, Mary. Got my own bakery now, and my siblings work with me. Some time after I left you someone stole my phone and I had to change my number and my contact list was gone so…” he offers as an irrefutable explanation.

 

“You know Gabe? The bakery is right where you left it.”

 

“I know, Mary. I was just telling your son that at first I was too busy to do anything but work and then life just took me and…”

 

“Okay, okay, I’ll forgive you if you tell me how in hell Sam’s there with you.”

 

“Er, I think that’s something your kid needs to tell you.” he lets his hand move inviting Sam to jump in the conversation.

 

“I’m on a date with him, mom, he’s the owner of this week show.” he informs her, winking at the grinning man in front of him, making Gabriel smile wider.

 

“Whoa! It _is_ a small world after all!”

 

“Isn’t it? It was shocking, actually.” Sam agrees.

 

“Son, you better bring him to visit me tomorrow or at least after your second date, or I’ll stop talking to you and you won’t get any more free cookies. I’m not joking.” and she sounded serious enough.

 

“I’ll go visit you soon, Mary. I promise.” Gabriel firmly assures her.

 

“You better.” the voice on the phone sounding endearing and menacing in equal parts, like only a mother’s voice can.

 

“Mom, we gotta go,” Sam interrupts, “I love you.”

 

“Bye Mary.”

 

“Bye kids, I love you both.”

 

Sam hangs up the phone and looks sheepishly up at Gabriel, suddenly less confident the other man would actually go out with him again.

 

“So… another date. Your mom’s orders.”

 

“Yeah,” Sam drinks the rest of his beer now more relaxed, “But you said this is no date so we’ll have to have another one soon.” he reminds Gabe.

 

“I’m game.”

 

“I’m sure you are, Gabe.” he jokes, looking at the clock on the opposite wall, he sighs, “It’s getting late and you work tomorrow. Let’s get you home.”

 

They had settled this was not a date so they split the bill and leave the place barely resisting the instinct to hold hands but brushing their arms together as they walk along.

 

Despite Sam’s offer to take Gabe home, the first stop is Sam’s house. Gabriel kills the engine and holds his breath, unsure of how to act. Their chemistry is evident and they’ve agreed to a second or first date but he wouldn’t want to force anything here. This is Mary’s child after all.

 

“Alright, Gabe. I got your number, I’ll call you.” Sam states but doesn’t move to leave the car. Gabriel then sees his chance, he turns sideways and leans in to meet his lips in a simple and surprisingly chaste peck of lips.

 

“Since this isn’t a date, that’s all you’ll get.” he leans back into driving position and holds his hands up to illustrate the point.

 

Sam opens the door grinning, “I can’t wait for more.” he lets out before closing the car door and head up to his front door.

 

* * *

 

“I had the best night ever!” Gabriel shouts at his sister while she’s hanging her coat. Sarah laughs hard. Gabe must have been up on his feet baking since around 4AM, he couldn’t have slept more than five hours but he’s bouncing and doesn’t look even a bit tired. Sarah knows it’s gotta be the adrenaline rush from whatever made her brother so happy. She won’t call him on it… she wouldn’t even need to try.

 

Sarah puts her apron on and does a quick look around the tables to check if everything is in its place. Fortunately it is, because all she wants to do is going into that kitchen and gossip the morning away but it’s only an hour to open so that would have to do.

 

“So, how is he?” She rips the bandage off. The Novak siblings have never kept secrets from each other, in fact they tend to overshare so the smirk in Gabriel’s lips when he wiggles his eyebrows as absolutely expected.

 

“How was he in what?” he plays hard to tell, but Sarah can see he’s desperate to share.

 

“In bed, you idiot, what else?” she playfully hits his ass with a dishtowel.

 

“Hey!” he complains but continues with the lemon curds he’s currently finishing. “I have no idea.”

 

“Oh, okay… how about kissing… is he any good?”

 

“Probably… he does have soft lips.” he offers her a cookie and his most innocent smile.

 

“I’m confused now.” Sarah confesses, giving a cookie a defeated bite.

 

He turns to pour two mugs of coffee and offers one to his sister, leaning his hip on the counter he explains, “I pecked him on the lips as I left him at his door.”

 

“Classy, brother. And yet that doesn’t explain your long date… where the hell you’ve been?”

 

“On a date. We talked, chatted, shared. It was awesome!”

 

Sarah choked on her coffee, coughing she grabs the broom and holds it like a bat, “Who are you and what you’ve done with Gabe?”

 

“Hey! I can have adult conversations, you know?” They both dissolve into laughter, knowing the hint of truth behind Sarah’s joke.

 

“Of course you can, dear! You can have adult conversations with us, with your friends but I’ve never known you were capable of doing that with a gorgeous, tree tall, dimpled man like that one!”

 

“Yeah, don’t you think I know? He’s special, you see…”

 

“Special how?”

 

Gabriel turns on his hills to start yet another batch of lemon curds, the fucking things sell like hell. “You’ll have to wait until Cassie comes, I don’t want to have to repeat myself.”

 

“Oh God, tell me you didn’t get him pregnant.”

 

“Yeah, by osmosis.” Gabe deadpans.

 

“Awesome!” she rubs her hands together and spotting Castiel going in, she informs him, “Hey Cassie, we’re gonna be uncle and auntie!”

 

“You’re pregnant, Gabriel? I thought you knew how to take precautions.” Castiel face remains stoic while teasing his eldest.

 

“I’m on the pill, so no.”

 

“Good! Who’s pregnant then?” his eyes suspiciously at their sister.

 

“Nobody is, Cassie. Sar is making fun of me and messing with you.”

 

“Bad sister.” Castiel playfully smacks her in the back of her head while hugging her.

 

“Now, Gabe, tell him the good news.” she says while pouring a cup of coffee for her brother and continuing talking, giving Gabriel no time to say a word, “He went on a date with Sam Winchester and he even kissed him. They _talked_ all night long…. Oh, and he’s _special_.” she summarizes, air quoting and everything.

 

“Well, what can I say… he is! And stop using air quotes, Sarah, it’s not a good look on you.”

 

“Is he…?” Castiel throws a questioning look to his sister.

 

“He is. I checked.” she confirms.

 

“I see… he must be special, uh?”

 

“Nobody listens to me. _He is!_ I already told you, kids!” Gabriel rolls his eyes faking annoyance, “Also, I have some awesome news.” he says but won’t continue.

 

“Oh, for fucks sakes, spill the beans already, Gabe!”

 

“Alright! Alright! No need to call names, girl!” throwing his apron on the counter he faces his siblings, “Cas, you remember your friend at Mary’s bakery?”

 

“Yeah, he was something like two years my younger… why?” there was a flick of light on Castiel’s eyes, but Gabriel told himself he imagined it.

 

“You remember his name?”

 

“Why? No! It was twenty years ago…”

 

“Yeah, I couldn’t remember either…” Gabriel agreed.

 

“Oh my Gosh!” Sarah’s mug hit the counter and widened eyes, she shouts, “Sam! It was Sam!”

 

“Yeap! That was it. Last night I went on a date with Mary’s kid, Sammy.” Gabriel finally confirms, pleased with himself grin shining.

 

“Shit, Gabe, he had a major crush on you back then!”

 

“How could I forget that? Made me feel old and creepy when I found out who he was last night… for a while, you know…” he half shrugs, “but then he called Mary, who we have a date to see on Monday, by the way, and well, she kinda gave me permission to date him and that’s when everything stopped being weird.”

 

Castiel’s eyes look dreamy as he remembered their time in Mary’s bakery, in fact, all three siblings seem to be recalling their time there, “I remember Sarah having a crush on Mary’s eldest son…” both brothers turn to give her an amused look.

 

“Did not!” she retorts.

 

“Oh you so did, girl! Even though he was there only for the holidays and every other weekend.” Castiel points out.

 

“Uh hu… so you remember him clearly, I see…” Gabriel suspiciously says.

 

“Of course I do. He was cool and I was a weird teenager with no people skills and yet he used to talk to me. Dean was his name.” Castiel recalls, washing his mug and lining up the salt and pepper shakers to fill.

 

“The Dean that was doing the lights yesterday?”

 

“Yeah, I guess so…” Castiel answers nonchalantly as he refills the shakers, avoiding looking up.

 

“Interesting…” Gabriel whispers to himself, to immediately clap his hands stating, “I’ll keep baking or we’re serving nothing but cold cuts today, so… chop chop!”

 

* * *

 

G: My brother remembers your brother

S: Really?

G: Yeap. He says Dean was a cool kid back then.

S: He was an asshole. Well. He hasn’t change much.

G: That’s another clue. Cassie was too nonchalant about it.

S: We can go spy on them tomorrow. Saturday.

G: You bet. But I really need to go home early. Sunday is the busiest day.

S: I know. Baker kid. REMEMBER.

G: Yeah I know. I need to check the buns

S: I could check yours.

G: I knew it. You were checking me out the other day in the kitchen.

S: Duh. Call you later Gabe.

G: I’ll be waiting.

 

* * *

 

“You’re hiding something.” Sarah startles Castiel while he was rearranging the sandwiches display.

 

“I’m not!” he complains.

 

“You are and I think it has to do with your mysterious boyfriend…” she shoots him a canny look.

 

“The fact that I don’t want to introduce him yet doesn’t make him mysterious, Sarah.” Castiel tiredly replies avoiding the actual reference that mixed his boyfriend and Dean.

 

“It’s been months, Cassie!” Sarah whines.

 

“You know what happened last time, so that’s it.”

 

“He was bad seed, Castiel! He was gonna dump you regardless…”

 

“Fergus dumped me because…” he’s cut out.

 

“Because he was an asshole, Cassie! Whoever can’t handle a few jokes from your siblings isn’t worthy of you!”

 

“I don’t care. You won’t spook this one. I’ll introduce him once we’re engaged or moving in together… whatever happens first.” he decidedly states.

 

“So you’ll never introduce him.” she deadpans.

 

“Probably. I just wanna make sure that if he leaves me is because of me and not because of my noisy siblings.”

 

“Dull. Your loss, bro.”

 

* * *

 

The town is small but not that small that everybody knows your name. It was small enough though, that the word spread fairly quickly. By Friday most of the people has heard that the bakery was scheduled to appear on the Bakeries and Diners show so everybody wanted to be able to say that they knew the place before it became sort of famous. That made Friday and Saturday rush hour last the whole day, busiest days ever.

 

The Novak siblings barely got any sleep and by the end of Saturday evening shift they were exhausted. Gabriel, always in charge of the baking, only remembered he owned a phone when he took his apron off around 5PM on Saturday.

 

He swipes his thumb over to unlock it and half smirks half frowns when he sees three lost phone calls and ten new messages.

 

S: Hi Gabe. Ready for tonight?

S: I assume the bakery is really busy. I’ll be there around 7 if it’s OK with you.

Unknown sender: Sam gave me your number. I’m Mary.

Gabriel saves Mary’s number on his phone with an absent minded smile.

Mary: When will you come? Probably not over the weekend.

S: I gave my mom your number. Hope it’s ok.

Amelia: I’m really sick Gabe. I will not be able to make it tomorrow. I’m sorry

S: I got spy gadgets. OK, binoculars and two black beanies.

Lost phone call from: Amelia

Mary: Probably Monday. We open on Mondays Now. I have two bakers. They take turns.

Amelia: I can’t find a replacement. But I’m burning in high fever.

Lost phone call from: Moose.

S: Call me. I have an idea.

Lost phone call from: Moose.

 

He texts Amelia first.

G: It’s OK Ams. We’ll manage. Get well soon. See you on Tuesday.

 

Sighing he then texts Mary.

G: Hey Beautiful. I’ll be there sometime around noon on Monday. With or without your kid.

Then he texts Sam

G: I’ll call in a few. 7 is OK. Gadgets are cool. Miss you. I have tons of ideas. Some even involve spying our brothers.

 

Gabriel is feeding the last utensils to the dishwasher when the phone rings. The spoons he’s carrying are carelessly thrown into the dishwasher and he doves to take the call before it goes to voicemail. He’s very proud of his self control.

 

“Hey, Sammy!” he mirthfully answers.

 

“Missed me?” Sam chuckles at Gabe’s breathless greeting.

 

“I did. You are good company.”

 

“Gabe…” Sam trails off.

 

“What?”

 

“Slow down.” he admonishes.

 

“Woah, kiddo. I just said you’re good company.”

 

“It’s just that I don’t want you to have high hopes.”

 

Gabriel can identify apprehension when he hears it, and Sam’s last experience was traumatic enough, he won’t be the one to push it more than Sam is comfortable with.

 

“Sam, you haven’t dated for what? Eleven years? It’s long past due. Look,” he cuts Sam’s protests, “I can be a snail if you need me be. I just enjoy being around you… and we’ve got over twenty years to catch up with.”

 

“Yeah, well. I just want to be sure you understand I don’t know how much I can give you back.”

 

“Whatever you’re willing to give me, it’s enough, kid.”

 

Sam can hear the honesty in Gabriel’s voice, “Let’s do some spying tonight, deal?”

 

They settle to get Sam’s car to a friend of Sam’s and take his car so to avoid being discovered by their brothers. Gabriel goes to his apartment to take a shower and change, he’s so happy to have a date with Sam that he wouldn’t care less about his siblings jokes and banters. He’s picking his clothes in autopilot, his mind keeps wandering to scenarios that could help Sam see Gabriel’s dating material. He knows it’s not gonna be easy- screw you, Brady- but the tall man’s worth it. Sam’s got the fire he’s looking for in a partner, plus he finds him amusing and gorgeous and funny and, damn, he loves spending time with him.

 

* * *

 

Gabriel says goodbye to the crew when Sam honks in front of the bakery and rushes out. As soon as he closes shotgun door suddenly he doesn’t know how to act. Should he peck Sam? Should he shake hands? Should he caress his cheek? Should he hold his hand? He’s taken out of his state of confusion by a hand cradling his face and a pair of soft lips pecking his.

 

“Let’s go.” Sam needlessly says, starting the engine and heading to Charlie’s.

 

They exchange cars, and leave with the promise to return hers in no more than three hours.

 

“That’s okay, Sam, Gilda and I are gonna have a quiet night, we’re staying in.” she waves goodbye, “Have fun! I’ll wait up for your report!”

 

“You told her?” Gabriel incredulously asks.

 

“Yeah, she’s been buggering me about Dean’s mysterious boyfriend.”

 

“Man, they’re taking a lot of precautions, those two… what the hell?”

 

“Who knows what those idiots are thinking… anyway, once I told Char what we were planning she was completely onboard.”

 

They drive in silence and park in the furthest corner of the bakery’s parking lot right on time. They wait in the darkness, hoping to be invisible to the ones coming out of the bakery.

 

“Hey!” Gabe speaks up, trying to keep it down he checks the time on his phone, “It’s not even eight and Cas is already leaving? I swear if he’s closing earlier to sneak out I’m gonna…”

 

“Dude,” Sam interrupts, “you think Cas would do that? Guy’s more responsible than you.”

 

“I know… He got all the responsibility genes in this generation of Novaks, so no, he wouldn’t do that, not even for a fine piece of ass. Sarah must be covering the closing shift.”

 

“Fine. That settled, let’s follow him from a safe distance.” Sam decides, starting the engine and drives away, slowly not to get noticed but fast enough so not to lose him. He drives for about twenty minutes, they share a comfortable silence, a few glances over here, a few hand holding there, until they have to slam the breaks. Castiel seems to have arrived to his destination, not his own house, definitely.

 

Sam looks quizzically at Gabriel, “Where are we?”

 

“It’s Cassie’s bestie, Meg. I bet my ass she’s their cover.” he thinks out loud, winking in a sort of seductive way.

 

Sam’s pondering how to answer to that, he’s not fully comfortable with the about to be relationship of a sort so when Castiel and Meg leave the house in her car he waits for a minute and follows them to a pub near the highway.

 

They park and talk about their options, chances are that Meg and Castiel will meet Dean inside or at least that mysterious boyfriend of his. Problem rises because, if Dean really happens to be there he would recognize them, black beanies or not. In Gabe’s opinion they’re screwed.

 

“Not really,” Sam observes, “If Dean doesn’t come up, we just rule him out. Worse case scenario we’re back to square one…” taking a bottle of water out of his backpack he offers it to Gabriel who look at him in astonishment.

 

“You’re not a stalker, right?” Gabriel asks suspiciously looking at the bottle that’s being offered to him.

 

“Not really.” Sam huffs a little embarrassed laugh, “My dad likes hunting, like a lot, so we’ve been taught a special set of skills… in the little time he was around anyway.”  shrugging nonchalantly he continues, “But back then when he and mom were together he used to teach us things that would help us survive in different situations, stake-outs were one of them… not sure what he had in mind for our future, to be honest. So, water?” he nervously waves the bottle in front of Gabe.

 

“Sammy…” he trails off.

 

“Okay, okay, stop the whining, I got coke for you.”

 

“You’re awesome.” he whispers accepting the can.

 

“I know, I’m perfect.” Sam whispers back, hiding a smirk by sipping his water.

 

“Hey!” Gabriel complains, scandalized, “That’s my line!”

 

“Oh is it?...”

 

They look at each other for a second, bursting in a wholehearted laugh next. Gabriel almost chokes on his coke. Sam can’t help to notice he’s adorable.

 

* * *

 

“I’m bored, Sammy.” Gabriel whines after thirty minutes of waiting, coke and candy dealt with, and yet Dean is nowhere to be seen.

 

They decide to call it a night and agree to follow Dean next time. Stake-out is always boring but in this case is the only way to succeed in their plan. Belly full of candies and soda, Gabriel is at  the roof of his sugar rush, so when Sam proposes to grab something to eat and return the car to its owner, Gabriel squees. Sam chuckles and is surprised to find that he likes the short man more and more as time goes.

 

In Sam’s experience, stake-out is as a mess, both boring and dangerous, coexistence wise speaking. He remembers his times of hunting with John and Dean, back when their dad considered himself part of the family and made some kind of effort to bond with his kids. The hours they’d stay quiet in the car, behind a fallen tree or just on their bellies on the grass waiting for the right pray to appear in shooting range. Sam’s arguments with both Dean and John was mostly the reason they’d never kill anything. Big blessings for small arguments, you could say. So, yes, finding himself enjoying stake-out time with Gabriel is a nice surprise. He wonders how far will he be able to let this happen.

 

They settle for pizza and the first disagreement finally appears.

 

“No way we’re getting pineapple pizza.” Sam rules out.

 

“I said, _half_ pineapple, half double cheese meat lover. Don’t overrule it until you’ve tried it”

 

“Fine, but quid pro quo. You’ll try my very supreme cheesy veggie.” Sam counteroffers.

 

“I can do that as long it has no mushrooms. I hate mushrooms.” Sam’s eyes are enough confirmation that there are mushrooms involved. “No, sorry but no, mushrooms are disgusting… the taste and consistency…” he trails off making a disgusted face, “Mushrooms taste like feet.” he finally states.

 

“Dude, how many times can you use mushrooms in a sentence?” Sam jokes, “Anyway, your loss.” Sam decides not to ask why did he know how feet tasted and makes the order.

 

They arrive at Charlie’s, Sam’s belly aches like it hasn’t in years just from laughing so hard. He’s not gonna read anything into that, not yet, at least.

 

Charlie and Gilda were about to call for pizza so they’re pretty happy to see them, extra large pizza boxes in hands. They invite them in and the party begins. Sam bats everybody’s hands when they try to braid his hair. Char brings some beers from the fridge and they settle on a movie.

 

“I can watch anything that has the word star in the name of the movie or A Chris as the star.” Gabriel states, “You know, Wars or the Chris’”

 

“I like you.” Gilda grins clinging her beer with his.

 

“What the hell are you two talking about?” Sam asks, obviously confused.

 

“Really, Sam? You didn’t get that?” Gabe looks at him rather disappointedly.

 

“The Chris’ are Pine from Star Trek, Hemsworth and Evans from The Avengers and Pratt from Guardians of the Galaxy” Gilda recounts, “And Wars is for Star Wars.”

 

“Avengers has not a star…” Sam complains, happy to have found a weak spot in their reasoning, but he’s cut out.

 

“Tony STAR...K,” she clarifies, proud of herself, “Oh, sweetheart, The Chris’ are the best of this decade and then… well, we have to mention The Ryan’s. Deadpool was a fine movie… actually really good.”

 

“Okay, I can relate to the Ryan’s.” Sam smirks before he can refrain himself.

 

“Only The Ryan’s?” Gilda asks suspiciously arching an eyebrow.

 

“And some of The Chris’” Sam shrugs.

 

“All of The Chris’!” Gilda and Gabriel scream at unison and high five.

 

Gilda offers Two Chris’ and One Ryan to watch and Gabriel immediately agrees picking The Avengers and Deadpool, ruling out Green Lantern.

 

“Not even Reynolds makes it acceptable.” Charlie says. “I’m on board with the movie selection.” she nods and everybody look at her amused, “Oh, C’mon! Black Widow and the girl from Firefly? Dude I’m so in!”

 

The conversation turns to the sex path, as in any other teen slumber party.

 

“So Sam’s as gay as a parade. What about you?” Charlie asks, nonchalantly.

 

“I’m just Gabe, that’s what and who I am, but if you have to really label me, you could put the Panromantic pansexual sticker in my forehead.”

 

“Funny, we’re not many.” Gilda excitedly claps, “I’m just Gilda but if you look closely you’ll find the same sticker in my neck.”

 

“Nice!” Gabriel high fives and winks at her.

 

“Hey, back off, dude! She’s mine!” Charlie fakes jealousy.

 

“Yes, baby girl I’m all yours.!” Gilda pecks Charlie making her melt.

 

Sam coughs, taking a piece of veggie pizza in his mouth, he gets up and gets the first movie started.

 

“Are we on a double date?” Gilda whispers into Gabriel’s ears.

 

“Dunno but I truly hope so.” Gabriel replies.

 

“You really like him.” she states, eyeing him to check his reaction.

 

“I do. But he’s given me the I-do-not-fall-for-anyone speech and the reason for that too, so…” Gabriel informs her and she can hear a tint of pain in his voice.

 

“Yeah, douchebag hurt him badly. If someone comes too close he runs away.” she tells him, her eyes fixed on the tall man having a fight with the old DVD player Charlie refuses to replace, “Be ready to fight for him. You’re not perfect but I think you’re a keeper.”

 

“I’m not … I’m not perfect? That’s it, you’re not allowed to try my pizza.You’ve declared war, lady” Gabriel plays offended.

 

“What are we declaring war on?” Charlie asks, handling everyone a new fresh beer bottle.

 

“Gabriel’s pizza.” Gilda deadpans.

 

They have a blast, they laugh and eat and drink. They laugh at the movies and have friendly arguments about the licences the movies took over the comics. By the end of Deadpool, Gabriel gets up and announces he’ll have to leave since he’s gotta be at the bakery at 4  AM. The girls boo but make him promise to organize another movie night soon.

 

Sam drives Gabe home in comfortable silence. He drives as slowly as the speed limit allows him, enjoying the pop music Gabriel selects on the car stereo.

 

They arrive to Gabe’s and stay inside the car for a couple of minutes, just staring at each other, holding hands. “I wish you had the time to have a cup of coffee.” Sam tells him.

 

“Sam… nothing would make me happier, but I gotta sleep at least four hours or I won’t be able to run the bakery in the morning, with Amelia being sick and everything.” he replies apologetic.

 

“What’s her job?” Sam asks.

 

“She manages the cash register.”

 

“I could help.” Sam offers.

 

“I couldn’t ask you that, Sam. Sunday is the busiest day, you won’t have time to breathe.”

 

“You didn’t ask, I’m offering.”

 

“Really, Sammy, it’s okay.”

 

“But I want to! It’ll be fun and I’ll get to see you.”

 

Gabriel takes a minute to think about it. Truth is Sam is offering to help, and he will get to see Sam too. The whole thing has a sense of companionship that he’s never felt before. Gabriel pictures hidden make out sessions at the back of the pantry, a coffee with lemon cookies shared over the counter. Damn, he wants that.

 

“Okay, can you be there at 7?” Gabriel accepts.

 

“Sure.” a honest to God smile spreads over Sam’s features.

 

“Bye Sam.” Gabriel whispers against Sam’s lips, pecking him. Sam tries to deepen the kiss but Gabe stops him, “As lovely as the night went, let’s save save that kiss for after a real date, sweetheart.”

 

Sam nods, smiling tenderly, “Bye, Gabe.” he pecks Gabriel back.

 

* * *

 

Even for regular standards, Sunday turns to be more busy than predicted. If Gabriel didn’t know better they’d say that the ones not present on the day of the show shooting, decided to pay a visit to the soon to be famous place on Sunday. Sam arrives at 7 sharp and gets a quick training by Sarah on the tasks he’ll be in charge of.

 

“I used to work at a supermarket. I got it!” Sam salutes.

 

“All right then! Any questions just ask me or Cassie, we’ll be around anyway.” She sighs, “Thank you for doing this, Sam. Gabe will be at front desk around 11 to check on everything and then head back to the kitchen with the two Sunday employees.”

 

Sunday rush seems to last forever, Gabriel did show up at 11 sharp and went back to the kitchen but before he heads up to Sam and kisses him on the cheek, chaste and tender.”

 

“Hi, sweetheart. How’s everything?”

 

“Insane. Customers won’t stop coming in. It’s awesome!”

 

“Told ya. Still wanna date? I mean, you’re working your ass out, not sure you’re interested in me anymore…”

 

“Gabe, I was raised in a bakery and was a model... I can handle this with my eyes closed.” Sam shoots back. Implying he’s willing to date Gabe without actually saying the words, that’s gonna take a little longer.

 

“Good.” Gabe smirks, “I’m gonna check the displays now. Take a break at 12 and come to the kitchen.”

 

“Aye aye, baker!” Sam jokes making Gabriel smile wider all his way to the displayers.

 

Around noon there are not really many take out customers and the tables are mostly served so Sam takes his break, while Castiel takes his place. Sam opens the kitchen door and peers in.

 

“Hi baker,” he says entering the kitchen awkwardly in the presence of the Sunday crew, “I’m on my break now.” he needlessly states.

 

Looking up from the dough, Gabe grins and calls out, “Guys, I’ll take 15! If the kitchen’s set on fire I’ll be at my office. Anything else, call Cassie.”

 

Gabriel takes Sam’s hand and guides him into his office. The second the door is closed he pins Sam to the wall and kisses the air out of him. Dizzy, he explains, “Waiting for a date is overrated, been dreaming of kissing you all night.”

 

It takes Sam a few seconds to regain the ability to speak again, he takes the chance to grab Gabriel by the neck and closes the distance between their lips again, “Waiting is overrated, I agree,” he whispers, leaning in to kiss Gabriel tenderly, sweet and endless.

 

Time flies when you’re having a good time, and Sam’s having the time of his life. The tenderness of the touches, the softness of their lips, the look in those whiskey eyes that look up at him like he’s some kind of god, it’s all surreal, too good to be true. And yet it is.

 

“I… I think my break is over…” Sam tries to clear mind, conscious he’s gotta head back to his position behind the desk and put his best _nothing happened_ face on.

 

“No. I like this.” Gabriel pouts reaching up for Sam’s lips again.

 

“Yeah, me too. But… Okay, one more for the road. We could hide here in my next break.” Sam offers.

 

“Love your plan.”

 

One more promising fierce and quick kiss and they’re ready to part ways, ish. “I love your lips.” Sam says worrying Gabe’s lower lip, “I could get addicted to them.”

 

“For an over responsible employee you certainly are not helping, Winchester. We need to go back.”

 

“Doing my best here, baker.” it’s Sam’s turn to pout, taking the chance to check his clothes and hair, “See you around three, babe.” Sam smirks out.

 

The lunch rush is the worst Sam’s ever seen. So busy that if anyone’s noticed Sam’s pink kissed lips, nobody’s got the time to comment on them. Long lines. Gabriel, Ash or Pamela coming every 15 minutes to refill some of the trays. Hell was declared around 1PM and never really stopped. Around 3 it’s obvious this isn’t over, people still coming and they’re serving with their best tired smile. It’s about 15 to 4 that the lines are finally served and only a few customers are sit around so Sam decides to go for it and take his break.

 

“I’ll be in the back dying.” he informs.

 

“Told ya, Sam!” Sarah tells him, “Sundays are hell but the money’s worth it.”

 

Sam tiredly smiles at her and waves, entering the kitchen dragging his feet. He nods at Pamela decorating some cupcakes and then to Ash doing the dishes. Pamela tells him Gabriel’s probably hiding in his office or waiting for him, and gives him an awkward look, as if unsure it’s her place to talk. Regardless, she does.

 

“Sam?” she calls after him, calmly but firmly she pleads, “don’t hurt him.”

 

“Not planning on it.” he assures her, before going in the office. “Honey I’m home!” he announces himself after closing the door.

 

“What took you so long, Samoose?”

 

“Well, I’m a responsible employee, as you said before, so I finished with every customer before coming for you, my dear.”

 

“You’re awesome, come here.” he pats the place next to him on the loveseat, “We’ve never discussed payment.”

 

“I don’t need money.”

 

“Well, I have to pay you regardless.” he makes a face as if thinking the options.

 

“How about a massage and a date? You pay.”

 

“I can do that.” Gabriel smirks.

 

“I want the massage now, please.”

 

“Sure, baby, lie on the couch. Face down.” Gabe instructs.

 

Sam does as instructed and Gabriel soon straddles his thighs, massaging his shoulders. Sam moans and Gabriel can’t help to roll his hips, proposedly leaning his dick with Sam’s crack.

 

“Please, Gabe, let me… let me take care of that…” he pleads, provoking a new roll of Gabriel’s hips.

 

“No.” Gabe firmly says, making Sam turn a bit to look at Gabe over his shoulder, “I’m not that cheap.” Gabriel continues, “I want to do this properly, we can have our way with each other after the date if it still interests you.”

 

“But, Gabe I wanna…”

 

“I know! For fucks’ sake, I want that too!” Gabriel snaps, “I don’t want this to mean nothing. You said that you don’t do boyfriends and I both understand and respect that. I just want this to be perfect.”

 

Sam seems to ponder for a moment, then apparently his mind made up, he returns to his position and asks for the massage to continue, “It feels amazing, Gabriel.”

 

Gabriel smiles but remains silently massaging his back, refraining from rolling his hips again. Twenty minutes go by and the time to return to their labors come.

 

“I think your break ended like five minutes ago. But you go home, we close at six today and I need to get some sleep, pronto.”

 

“Sure,” Sam stands up, rolling his shoulders and neck to adjust his position and relax further, “Walk me outside, would you?”

 

“Of course.”

 

Saying his goodbye to the Sunday crew and the Novak siblings, Sam exits the bakery. At the door he spoons around and asks, “You still going to my mom’s tomorrow?”

 

“Of course! She’d eat me alive if I don’t. I’ll be there around 11AM, is it okay?”

 

“See you then, Gabe.” Sam sweetly kisses him goodbye.

 

* * *

 

Sam collapses as soon as he gets home, tired even for dinner. He sleeps his evening away, with briefs waking moments for bathroom visits and finding himself on Monday morning awake at 6AM, unable to fall back asleep. He gets up, tired of tossing around, and decides to go running to clear his mind, his long sleep had been full of dreams of lips, and shared breaths, tender hands touching… probing… claiming, and Oh God it’s gotta stop or he’s gonna make a full of himself in front of his mom.

 

Gabriel arrives at Mary’s at five to eleven. He gets out of the car and waits for his siblings to catch up with him.

 

“Remember not to embarrass me, or I’ll cut your salaries.” he threatens them.

 

When Sam had left the bakery and said his goodbye at the door, Castiel and Sarah overheard him reminding Gabriel about his appointment with Mary Winchester and as soon as their brother was already behind the counter they started bugging him to take them along. Five minutes later he had already given up and agreed on taking them to the reunion date.

 

The moment Gabriel enters Mary’s bakery he’s engulfed in a sunshine blond hug.

 

“Oh Mary I’ve missed you so much! Look at you! Beautiful as ever.” he honestly says.

 

Mary slaps him on the back of his head. “That’s for not calling me for fifteen years!” she states, “You look adorable, Gabby.”

 

“Oh I don’t go by that nickname anymore, I’m just Gabe now.” he sighs at her lift eyebrows, as challenging him to make her stop using his old nick, “Okay, okay. Sorry about that, life got in the way and I kept telling myself I’ll visit you next week, next month, and so on. I did miss you. A lot.”

 

“I know, it’s part of growing up, I guess, Gabby.”

 

“Seriously Mary, please stop calling me that or you’ll be the one in charge of shutting those idiots up.” he says pointing at his siblings.

 

“It’s a deal, Gabb… Gabe.” she greets the other two Novaks, amazed at how big and beautiful people they’ve turned into. “Please come in! Let’s sit over here, I’ll bring some coffee and muffins.” she brings a carafe of freshly brewed coffee, “Isn’t my kid coming?”

 

“Sam?”

 

“Well, yeah… aren’t you a couple?” she asks as she pours the coffee.

 

“We’re just a thing, Mary,” he answers under the attentive scrutiny of his siblings, “he still doesn’t do boyfriends.”

 

Mary listens and what she hears behind the words is the pain that her son’s reluctance to a relationship causes. She understands, her son’s been hurt badly and after so many years she never found the way to help him through his pain. She happily listens to Gabriel talk about how he’d like to have an actual relationship with Sam, how he’d love to be the one to make her son believe in men again. She listens, Castiel and Sarah listen. All Gabe does is talk, and, despite his efforts to change the subject and talk about the path that lead him to own his own bakery, despite his siblings attempts to help in that, he just goes back to talk about Sam.

 

Fortunately, a few minutes later he’s saved from his own misery by the very object of his desires. And along comes Dean. The boys greet their mom, accept her reprimand for not remembering they were supposed to help her install her new sound system and then join the party at the table, greeting everyone with a wave.

 

The Novak siblings get up and Gabriel goes straight to Sam pulling him down for a kiss. Sam’s a little taken aback but Gabriel manages to whisper, “Your mom approves.” smiling when Sam finally relaxes and responds to the kiss. They only leave each other’s personal space when the three siblings start catcalling them.

 

Mary puts an end to it, happy to play the mother of a big family again. “You three stop that and help me set the table.” Gabriel sticks his tongue out at them and Sam rolls his eyes, but they keep a very noticeable proximity.

 

“How was your night?” Gabe asks Sam, “Sleep tight?” he teases, winning a pat on the shoulder.

 

They eat and talk, take some coffee and talk more. They’re loud and happy, like a big old family. In a way they are. Gabby did a great job taking care of his family. Mary’s proud of him, she’s proud of all of them. She’s delighted to know that Castiel and Sarah had decided to join Gabriel in his adventure, and even happier that they stuck together after their unfortunate childhood, because it means they got the chance to grow up like a family.  

 

The way Dean and Castiel continuously eye each other doesn’t escape Mary’s attention, she asks Gabriel’s help to bring dessert to the table and, sensing her second intention of talking privately, Gabe nods and follows her.

 

“I think my son likes your brother.” She confides him, handling him two piess and grabbing the ice cream from the fridge.

 

“I think so,” he agrees, “I actually think they’re dating. You see, they both have mysterious boyfriends. That’s clue number one. Clue number two, you saw them, they eyefuck each other every time they’re in the same room. Now, clue number three is more interesting, the other day at the bakery, they left the place five minutes apart with lame excuses. And last but not least, clue number four, last Saturday Cassie went out with Meg and he hates go clubbing with her.”

 

“All circumstantial.” Mary mutters.

 

“One clue at a time, yeah, it does look circumstantial but if you put them all together it looks really suspicious.”

 

“Well, they’ll tell us eventually.” she shrugs, knowing her son she knows there’s no use to push him.

 

“Sure,” he sarcastically replies, “probably when we receive the wedding invitations.”

 

“Oh, boy! It’s good to have you back, kiddo.” Mary says laughing.

 

* * *

 

“Sammy, Mary also thinks Dean and Cassie are dating.” Gabriel whispers on his ear as he takes his seat again. That’s when Sam’s convinced. If his mom says they’re dating then they are, she’s never been wrong about such things.

 

Mary, Castiel, Dean and Sarah are deep into a discussion about some lame new show so Gabriel and Sam clear the table and go to the kitchen to feed the dishwasher.

 

“Mom’s never wrong…” Sam says.

 

“Now all we need to do is catch them.”

 

“You sure, Gabe? Don’t you think they deserve some intimacy?” Sam doubts.

 

“Hell no! They’re lying to us. To our faces! So, YES, I’m sure.” Gabriel decides.

 

“Okay, It could be fun, catching them, I mean.”

 

“Oh I can promise that. I gotta go now. I gotta sleep some more. I usually sleep my Mondays off, I have to be up at 3AM so I better go to bed early.”

 

“I get it… you mind if I walk you to the door and kiss you senseless before you leave?” Sam smirks anticipating the answer.

 

“Sound good to me.” Gabe laughs, “as long as you promise to sexting me to help me have nice dreams of you.”

 

“God, you’ll never get bored with this one, Sammy.”

 

Sam smiles at his mom, dreamy still from looking at Gabe. “I know, mom. I know.”

 

“Of course he won’t, I’m perfect!” Gabe smirks, cocky.

 

“Yeah, keep telling yourself that.” Sam laughs out.

 

“See you soon, Gabe. Sam will make sure of that or I’ll ground him forever.” she jokes, “Now go and say your goodbye at the door. I’ll hold Cassie and Sarah for five minutes.”

 

“You’re awesome, mom.” Sam kisses her cheek, while Gabe kisses the other.

 

They leave the bakery and take a step to the left to stay away from the window.

 

“I think someone promised to kiss me stupid.” Gabriel reminds Sam, wiggling his eyebrows.

 

“Really? I can’t recall…” he’s cut out by a tug on his lapels and a set of warm lips that taste of syrup and candy over his own.

 

Soon enough someone clears his throat and they both turn to face the remaining Novak siblings smirking at them. “Sibling alert!” Sarah shouts.

 

“Cockblokers.” Gabriel accuses them without malice.

 

“God, I hope not!” Castiel wrinkles his nose in worry, “I certainly hope you wait to be at a private place to engage in sexual activities!”

 

Sam looks at Gabe, Gabe looks at Sarah, and she looks at Sam. They burst in laughter at the same time, causing them to laugh even harder.

 

“What?” Castiel asks confused, “Why are you laughing?” he tilts his head, “I don’t understand…”

 

They crack, by the end of it they can hardly breathe. Castiel is by then a bit upset, arms crossed and  stoic face, offended.

 

“Oh, little brother, don’t you ever change!” Gabriel hugs him tight. He then passes an arm over each of his sibling’s shoulder and tells Sam, “Okay, time to go now. Sammy… I’ll text you so you can start sexting me, you big dirty man.” he winks at him.

 

Sam waits for the three Novak to enter the car and leave. He gets back inside the bakery with a sigh and a content feeling on his chest.

 

* * *

 

Gabe took a relaxing bubble bath, he put his most comfortable PJ’s and drank some hot chocolate to relax. He takes his phone, slipping inside fresh silky sheets, feeling naughty and sentimental at the same time and that’s another first for someone who’s always tried his best to feel like this in his previous relationships but never succeeding. He unlocks the phone ready to smile at a lost call or a text from whatever Sam is to him, but nothing, just a couple of texts from Castiel and some other work related ones.

 

G: I’m waiting for the promised sexting.

 

Sam’s ringtone for Gabe disturbs the peace of the night in Sam’s bedroom causing Dean to slam his open palm against the wall that communicates both bedrooms. How in hell could Sam expect Dean to remain impassive when Beyoncé’s Single Ladies began to sound and Sam let it sound for a couple of seconds because the fucking moose loves the song. Yeah, it’s never gonna happen.

 

S: How? I’ve never seen you naked, not even shirtless.

G: Use your imagination, man!

S: I’d rather use actual memories, thanks.

G: Come over, then.

S: You should go to bed, Gabe.

G: Already on it and all spread, thinking of you. There’s room 4 u in my bed. Srly, come over.

S: Dunno. If I were to go now, I’d keep you awake for too long and you need to rest.

S: I’d take my time with you. Probably an hour.

G: An hour?

G: Keep talking.

S: Yes, an hour. The things I’ve been dreaming of doing to you can’t be rushed.

G: Tell me more.

S: Neh, I rather show you… one day.

G: C’mon baby, give me something to work with here.

S: Since you ask so politely.

S: First I wanna taste you. All of you. And I’ll take my time doing it.

S: I think I’ll need two hours. I think you can handle it.

Five minutes later Gabriel hasn’t text back.

S: Gabe, u ok?

S: Gabe?

G: GOD!

S: Did I break you?

G: Broken is a good word for it.

S: You were serious about the sexting, uh?

G: I’m always serious when it’s about sex.

S: Good to know.

G: I could return the favor and sext you.

S: No need. I was just fooling around but I’m glad I could give you a hand.

G: That’s gotta be the worst pun ever.

S: It was good and you know it.

G: Horrible.

S: Go to sleep, Gabe.

G: Sweet dreams, Sammy.

S: Nite-nite, Gabe.

 

* * *

 

Sam and Gabe spend the next week talking over WhatsApp. They’re their first message in the morning and the last at night. They talk about everything. Audios are hilarious and Sam hears them over and over for the sake of listening Gabe’s voice when the bakery becomes too busy for the baker to text back. Occasionally and mostly at night, Gabe would ask for a sexting session. Sam plays hard every time but always ends up giving Gabe a virtual hand.

 

The week is a mess for them both. Gabriel’s bakery has apparently become the place in fashion for friends to meet, and the show episode hasn’t even aired yet. Sam, on his side, had a new episode to shoot on Thursday so the previous days he had production meetings to attend.

 

But Friday. Oh, Friday is another story. They decide to have a date, and nothing’s gonna stop them.

 

S: See you tonight at 7?

G: Pick me up at the bakery.

S: It’s a date.

G: Damn right it is. You picked the restaurant already?

S: You said you’d made the reservations.

G: Oh shoot, yeah.

S: Gabriel, do we have a reservation?

G: … (worried emoji)

S: It’s ok, don’t panic, I can try and find us a restaurant.

G: Sammy, I’m joking. Of course we have reservations.

S: I’m gonna kill you.

G: You won’t. I’m perfect.

S: Right. One of these days it’s gonna be true.

G: Pick me up at 7, don’t be late.

 

* * *

 

By the time Gabriel finally got out of the bakery, Sam had been waiting for at least ten minutes with a dreamy expression on his face. Sam gets into shotgun and leans in for a quick kiss, Gabe won’t risk losing the reservation for something he can have plenty of after dinner.

 

“Move, Samkins, I’ve seen Gordon Ramsey losing his reservation because he was late, we need to get going like now!” Gabriel urges. Sam doesn’t need to be told twice. Whatever restaurant Gabriel made reservations at, has got to be good.

 

He drives away, following Gabe’s instructions and when they finally arrive he understands the rush. Best restaurant in town.

 

The few first minutes of the ride are kind of awkward, as soon as they’ve hit the road everything becomes easy. Half an hour later they’re laughing, humming to the music and holding hands over the table, little touches. Basically comfortable beyond expectations.

 

“Where are we going, Gabe?”

 

“You’ll see, Sammy. Relax.” he squeezes Sam’s hand a bit tighter.

 

“One degree more relaxed and I’ll fall asleep.” and he smiles because it’s true. He’s relaxed, confident as he hasn’t been in years, not after Brady.

 

Sam watches the restaurant come closer and then the engine stop. He’s openmouthed, he’s so underdressed he almost refuses to leave the car only doing it because the valet is waiting, car keys in hand, for him to get down by holding his door open.

 

“Don’t worry, Sammy.” Gabriel whispers as he notices Sam dragging his feet a little, “you’re perfect like this. You’ll see.”

 

Sam understands Gabriel’s comment as soon as they enter the restaurant. Despite the pompous front, the place is crowded with people in their regular clothes, relaxing and chatting animatedly. Fair enough, their henleys are probably worth a month of Sam’s earnings but still. Sam finally relaxes leaning against Gabe’s arm. Gabriel has to refrain from taking him down to his level and kiss him senseless. He’s rescued by a brunette hostess that greets them at the door.

 

“Hello, Gabriel, how are you today?” she professionally smiles at them.

 

“Great, Meli. I have reservation for two.”

 

“I know, Baz told me.” She eyes Sam but does not comment on their proximity, “Please follow me. He ordered to seat you at one of our best table.”

 

They follow her to the center of the floor, a table strategically situated to be able to see and be seen by every table but also distant enough from the rest of the tables to be considered the most private one.

 

Meli hands them the menus and stands there, “Baz told me you could choose the courses you like from the menu or he could select the courses for you, your choice.” she informs them.

 

“Sammy?”

 

“What?” he lifts his eyes from the menu where he was trying not to look horrified by the prices.

 

“Would you like to pick the dishes or should we leave the chef do it for us?”

 

“As long as the courses have no mushrooms in then, I’m okay with it.” Sam says.

 

“But why? You love mushrooms.” Gabriel states confused.

 

“But you don’t and I think we’ll be picking from each other’s plates.”

 

Gabriel blushes a bit, they close their menus and give them back to Meli. “Please tell Baz we’ll be honored to have the courses menu but please tell him to spare any mushrooms, please.” she nods politely, “I assume every course comes with his wine so I’d like my usual Kirk Royal for now. How about you, Sam?”

 

“You serve beer?” he asks Meli.

 

“Of course, You’d like to check the menu for brands?” she offers.

 

“If you have Oranjeboon 14 would be perfect.”

 

“Of course, sir. Nice choice. Gabriel, anything else?”

 

“That would be all, Meli, thanks.”

 

The hostess retires to put their orders so Sam takes a moment to check the place. It’s a nice mix of a family diner and a designation 3 stars Michelin restaurant.

 

“So, Sammy…” Gabe calls his attention after five minutes of sightseeing.

 

“Oh sorry, I was admiring what the owner did with this place. It’s… different.”

 

“No shit. Baz wants customers to feel comfortable but with a bit of glam. He made an awesome work, gotta give him that.” he admits, taking a quick glance around too, “It took him over two years to renovate it but the waiting was worth it.”

 

“How long have you known the owner?” Sam asks and can’t help to let a hint of jealousy tint his words.

 

“He’s one of my best friends. I told you about him, Balthazar.” Gabe clarifies, arching an eyebrow at Sam’s tone.

 

“Oh, your friend’s boyfriend, the one that hired you back then!” Sam face relaxes.

 

Gabriel blinks in slow motion, everything around them seems to have ceased to exist and they are the only men alive. He’s doomed. He’s realized it a few days ago, when he started to depend on every text to carry on with his day. Now, he’s sitting here in a lovely and fancy restaurant with this man whose smile can light up the whole room and he knows he’s gotta back up a little, about a mile, because this man that makes his heart skip a beat everytime he looks at him, he’s not ready to date or to fall in love and Gabriel would stay his friend before losing him.

 

“He’ll probably come to bring one of the courses.”

 

“Oh.” Sam says noncommittally, unsure if he really wants to meet one of Gabriel’s friends. They’re not an item, they’re just friends and friends don’t do the _meet the friends_ thing, do they? That brings a question that probably could have come up at any other time but when the music plays… you dance. Question is, what are they? Friends? To begin with, you could say so. Friends with benefits? He hopes they’ll soon be. But that brings a more important question, will Gabriel understand that and not fall for him?

 

“Hold your horses, Winchester.” Gabriel can tell Sam’s predicament by just looking at the lines on his forehead, “It’s something restaurant owners do, I’m not proposing!” Gabriel laughs out.

 

“I’m sorry, I was just wondering…” he trails off.

 

“No need to be sorry, Sammy.” he tilts his head in way that Sam finds adorable, “Now tell me…” he pauses to let the waitress put their drinks on the table. They continue to talk about their week and general stuff. Their brothers come once or twice in the conversation.

 

Food is perfect, they eat and share their courses over the most comfortable conversation any of them have ever had on a date. Sam told Gabe about Dean’s pranks, and Gabriel told Sam about Cas’, where he’s cute and quiet, he can make the meanest pranks ever. They talk about life and death and everything in between. They were enjoying the second dessert when Balthazar approaches and greets them.

 

“You whore!” he pats Gabe’s back. Nobody said he was all manners, right?

 

“Hi, Baz!” Gabriel stands up to engulf him in a hug before introducing Sam to him.

 

“Baz,” he pats his friend’s arm, “this is my friend Sam Winchester.”

 

“Nice to meet you, Sam.” Baz shakes Sam’s hand.

 

“He’s Mary’s youngest son.” Gabriel informs him.

 

“Oh well… look at you!” he raises his eyebrows in surprise making his forehead wrinkle, “All grown up and gorgeous.”

 

“He’s growing by the minute, I could swear.” Gabriel half jokes.

 

“Er… excuse me, but have we met?” Sam confusedly asks.

 

“Not in person, but Gabriel’s never stopped talking about Mary and her kids.”

 

Sam nods, understanding. They chit chat for a few minutes, and then Baz excuses himself to go back to his duty.

 

“Everything’s perfect, as usual, Baz!” Gabe congratulates him for the courses and the service in general.

 

“Yes, congratulations to the chef and the staff.” Sam agrees.

 

“I’ll let them know.” Balthazar winks at Sam, making him blush a little.

 

“Hey Winchester, he’s out of limits…” Gabriel warns.

 

“What? Why?”

 

“First, he’s my best friend. Second, I don’t share, not even not-boyfriends. And third, he’s taken.” Gabriel cuts Sam’s protests, “he loves to flirt even if he’s wiped taken.”

 

“Alright, but you have to admit British guys are hot.”

 

“I suppose, but he’s French, not British.” Gabriel says against the rim of his coffee cup.

 

“What’s with the accent, then?”

 

“Oxford Idiom Lab. Good shit.” Gabe shrugs.

 

They fall into silence for a while, captivated by the exquisite flavors of their desserts, when Sam lets his fork on the table and, taking a sip of coffee he states, “I don’t think I can eat a single bite of anything else.”

 

Embarrassed, Gabriel has to agree. He’s not usually one to decline anything sweet but he’s pretty full, thank you Michelin and grandma’s diner. So he calls Meli to ask for the tab but she informs him that the meal is on the house. He tries to politely fight it but he knows it’s a lost cause. When Baz invites, you just take it and thank him with your best lemon curds.

 

The walt to the car is short but the sky is starry and the air clear so they enjoy it. The valet hands Gabriel his keys and they drove back home. The ride is silent and nice, they stop at Sam’s and Gabriel, gentleman as he is, walks him to his front door. For what the date had been easy and natural, the parting ways is awkward. They talk for a few moments, until finally Gabe clears his throat.

 

“I should be going, Sam. I have an early morning or late night, depending how you see it.”

 

“Morning person here, so early morning it is.” Sam laughs entering Gabriel’s space and kissing him without hesitation. The kiss starts slow and tender but it turns into a passionate one almost immediately. Gabriel’s lips open and Sam dives into the most delicious mouth he’s ever tasted. None of them will ever remember when it started and they will never care, but there were hands everywhere and it was glorious.

 

Shockingly, it’s Gabriel who parts the make out session. “Sammy… Sammy stop this please… I have to wake up at 3.30 and…” his eyes flicker with lust when he sees the desire in Sam’s way of licking his lips, chasing the taste of Gabe’s, “shit… now Winchester! Get the hell inside your house!”

 

Sam smiles, pecks him again and enters his place.

 

* * *

 

Saturday morning shines through Sam’s windows and for the first time in years he doesn’t cover his head with the pillow to steal a few more minutes of sleep. Instead, he jumps out of bed, and spends the day whistling while doing some video editing for their website. Around seven he jumps into the shower singing and then he puts on his best cologne, subtle but with the guarantee stamp to make your significant other’s knee tremble.

 

At closing time he sits by the bakery counter and waits for Gabriel. He invites him to a burger joint and they laugh the night away. They drive to Sam’s house and the goodbye kiss last longer than last time, they pour more passion into it, they basically make out like horny teenagers. Time slips away and at a point, Gabriel has enough state of mind to realize he’ll need to start taking naps during the day or chances he’ll survive this are pretty much none. Sam stays in front of the house, door open, watching the car go. Gabriel takes glances into the rearview mirror and smiles to himself.

 

It takes two weeks of late dinners and moon sighting at the town square for Gabriel finally grow a pair and invite Sam to his house. Homemade italian style  pizza is the excuse and Sam gladly accepts it. The night is spent chatting and cooking. The sense of domesticity hurts… in a good way.  In the first date at home fashion, after dinner, glass of wine in hand, they seat on the couch for a movie.

 

“What you wanna watch?”

 

“Mmm let’s see…” Sam shuffles through Netflix and laughs, “Oh God! You’ve seen RuPaul’s drag race?”

 

“Dude, I fucking love Ru.”

 

“Let’s watch an episode.” Sam starts the show and looking sideways he deadpans, “May the best… woman… win.” making Gabe laugh.

 

“Oh man, I really love this show!”

 

Two episodes and two beers later the TV is forgotten in favor of making out like horny teenagers again. Seriously, you’d think they’re sixteen and never had any sex at all. This time Gabriel relaxes and lets Sam go on, they’ve got all the time in the world since he’s taking the next day off. At first they explore each other’s mouth, tongues swirling around each other, moaning and hands exploring and holding each other heads in position. Sam’s other hand, the one that’s not behind Gabe’s neck, starts tugging Gabe’s shirt up and when finally his fingertips touch skin, well… it feels like Gabriel’s whole boy lights up and burns with the intensity of an exploding sun. And they haven’t have any proper sex yet.

 

Gabriel’s hands won’t hold back anymore, he’s horny, Sam’s sexy and he’s way past the point of no return. He hopes he won’t have to apologize in the morning.

 

From the moment their lips touched, their mouths and tongues have never really stopped their fight for dominance except for a couple of seconds to take a breath from time to time. So, mouth locked, Gabriel tugs Sam’s shirt up and the rock-like abs he touches makes him moan even louder.

 

They touch underneath their clothes and at a point both shirts hit the floor and they’re skin to skin. It was the best feeling ever. The logs inside their pants twitch their agreement.

 

Gabriel’s head spinning is interrupted by the sound of his belt being unbuckled and his world just stops. Sam’s eyes are question marks and Gabriel just nods encouragingly. Sam’s smirks and finishes his work on Gabe’s belt palming his groin through the boxer shorts and Gabriel thrusts up his hips in reflex. Gabriel changes their position and looms over the tower of a man that’s the star of all his wet dreams. Straddling, he unbuckles Sam’s belt and tugs his pants down, past his hips. Leaning on him, he presses their erections together and slightly moves up and down, provoking a maddening friction that have them both panting for air and release.

 

They free one another from the confinement of their underwear, bobbing free and at reach. Gabriel licks his lips, anticipating its taste but he refrains… he had promised to take his time and probably Sam isn’t ready for that yet. On the verge of trembling he takes it in his hand and gives it a tentative stroke, up and down, his eyes on Sam’s and he sees fireworks.

 

He feels Sam taking his shaft with a warm hand, firm but tender and stroke in turn. They lock mouths again, passionate and hot, devouring each other with hunger built though weeks. They start stroking each other’s dicks in earnest, breaths heavy and hot, filthy words mixed with tender expressions of endearment and, seriously, they should talk this through. But not now. Now they take their shafts together, both hands covering them and stroking in rhythm. Words are beyond them now, they’re just panting for air and holding their breaths at the same time. Everything’s burning hot, their hands, their skins, their mouths. And then they cum a few seconds apart. Hot streams of white fluid, landing on their stomachs, their hands and Gabriel has to refrain himself from licking them both clean with his tongue. He chooses to collapse on top of Sam instead.

 

“Now that’s a helluva way to end a date.” Gabe deadpans and they laugh the awkwardness away.

 

* * *

 

After a month of trying to catch their brothers in fraganti with no positive result, not even a hint. Sneaky bastards. Gabriel plots during their dates and Sam begins to think that they’re on an endless mission.

 

The little crush Gabriel had at the beginning slowly turned into something else, it messed up in a skein of feelings he’s not sure he wants to untangle and everyday he’s feeling more and more attracted to Sam. All he knows is that every time the phone chirps his heart grows in size beating a rumba and if it happens to be Sam, he can’t help to smile like an idiot and he doesn’t even care.

 

At a point they decide to change strategies, they won’t follow their brothers that much for two main reasons, first, bastards never let their guard down so they just follow one of them and come out with nothing useful. Second, lately they tend to forget what they’re doing in favour of making out in the car. They’re trying to set their priorities right, so making out in a more comfortable place beats stalking their brothers.

 

Dean’s basic, in a way, he only uses his phone to talk and eventually to send a text, no WhatsApp or Facebook, he insists he just doesn’t have the time to act like a teen. Right. So Sam’s ways of spying on him at home or via cell phone are practically nules.

 

“I’m a hundred percent sure they’re fucking, Sammy.” Gabriel assures him after a couple of days of trying to sneak into Castiel’s phone, finding the password changed and having tried a lot of passwords in a variation of two with no positive result.

 

“I don’t know, Gabe, Dean’s got someone in his life… he’s never been so secretive about any partners before. Can’t understand why they’re hiding, it’s not that we’re bigots or something… we’re dating ourselves, for fucks sakes.”

 

“Yeah, that’s weird but as sure as my name is Trickster that I’m gonna find out, Gabriel! I meant my name is Gabriel!”

 

* * *

 

They spend the that month trying to catch their brothers in fraganti and bored to death with the dead end that their little investigation seems to get every time they follow a new lead. Their incursions into their brother’s lives mostly end with hurried handjobs in the car or weird places. Stalking their brothers become their favorite hobby. One day, out of the blue and in the middle of a hunt for Cas’ car, Sam invites Gabriel to his house.

 

“Well, look at you… it was about time, Winchester!” Gabe jokes to hide the emotion he’s under.

 

“Don’t make me regret it.” Sam smiles but looks away, having second thoughts already. He’s decided not to break the no boyfriends rule, not even for this man he’s had a crush on since he was 13. And yet he’s dating this guy, whether he likes to acknowledge it or not, and now he’s inviting him into his house. He’s never done that before. He’s always kept his distance. This seems to be the year of first times for him.

 

“You won’t, Sammy.” Gabe promises, arriving back to the bakery, “text me the time and address and I’ll be there. Now I gotta go, have to bake a fresh load of pie.” he pecks Sam and disappears into the bakery.

 

* * *

 

Gabriel takes his time baking goods for Sammy, they have to be nothing but perfect. Chocolate salted cookies, is his choice. He’s proud of the result. A whole batch of perfect cookies for the perfect man.

 

He knocks at Sammy’s door and when it opens he’s received for a mouth watering smell.

 

“God, Sammy, it smells delicious.”

 

“Yeah, well… I can’t cook but I can dial, it’s from a deli I know. Best chickpea soup ever. I’m currently making some fancy grilled cheese.” he invites him in, pointing at the packet in his hands, “I assume you brought dessert.” he moves away to continue grilling.

 

“Of course! And cookies!” he raises a mischievous eyebrow.

 

“Oh God! Ha ha!” Sam rolls his eyes, “Now Gabe, I got ham, bacon and salmon for the sandwiches. Which one you prefer?”

 

“All of them!” Gabriel confirms Sam’s suspicion.

 

“Gabe…” Sam admonishingly says, “You can’t eat three sandwiches…”

 

“Can and will!”

 

“O...kay, but I won’t carry you to bed if you pass out on the couch…”

 

“Well, the couch seems comfy.”

 

To Sam’s dismay, Gabriel does eat two bowls of soup, the three sandwiches and four cookies, he manages all down with four beers. He unbuttons his trouser and sighs.

 

“Told you not to eat the last cookie.”

 

“Cookies are not the problem.”

 

“Sure it’s not… it’s the rest of the food you ate. You want a rub?” Sam offers, amused.

 

“What am I… a dog?” Gabe replies offended, “Please?” he begs.

 

Snorting, Sam rubs his belly and one thing leading to another they start kissing, soft and tender… sweetly.

 

“Kiss me better, Sammy, on the tummy. It’s a doctor’s approved technique.”

 

Sam need no more encouragement, he lifts Gabe’s shirt and begins kissing his stomach, biting here and there. “Better?” Gabe pouts and touches his lower belly and Sam takes the hint. He kisses around his bellybutton smiling against the skin when he hears Gabriel giggle. He then goes lower reaching the hem of Gabriel’s jeans. That’s when he stops.

 

“Oh please Sammy, don’t stop, please! It hurts… lower. Massage there maybe? Could you…?” he trails off.

 

Sam smiles and opens Gabe’s fly exposing a little bit more of skin to kiss and bite. “You said massage or…” he takes Gabriel’s shaft through the boxers, “or maybe I could kiss it better too?” he attempts to take Gabe’s boxer out of the way but he’s gonna need Gabriel’s assistance for that and the sandy haired man gets the meaning and raises his hips.

 

“Sam…”

 

“Gabe?” Sam asks, interrupting for a second his cock licking.

 

Gabriel loses his ability to speak, he just looks up to the ceiling and focuses on the sounds of the crowded street that come from the window to avoid come like a teenager, a virgin one.

 

“Oh Jesus, Gabe!” Sam fakes concern, “I think this is getting worse by the minute. I’m not sure how…” he licks Gabe’s dick from bottom to top in a desperate swipe of the tongue.

 

“Sammy… I… I get it… you were right, about me eating too much… I’m such a bad boy but please!... please enough with the teasing and blow me already!”

 

Sam smiles to himself and takes a second to admire the length and girth of the dick in front of him and his mouth waters. Clearing his throat a bit he speaks his decision to go on, “Since you ask so nicely…” and then he engulfs Gabe’s shaft in one go. Bobbing his head slightly, succking and humming in tandem.

 

“Oh Boy.. I’ll… I’m gonna… shit!” Gabriel mumbles and Sam laughs causing reverberations of his throat that send shivers all over Gabe’s dick. “I’m dying.” he deadpans.

 

Sam lets go the dick in his mouth with a loud pop but continues to massage it with his hand, “It seems I’m doing a good job here. Now babe, I want you to stop thinking and come for me.” returning to lick the tip of the dick and stroking fast with his hand.

 

Gabriel hasn’t cum on demand since he was 18, hell, he’s not even 25, having sex everywhere all the time… and still, he’s falling for this hot gigantor so he complies without second thoughts, three strokes and he’s coming all over Sam’s face.

 

Sam raises and licks whatever he can reach with his tongue, smiling, “You taste sweet, like your bakery.”

 

Gabriel is beyond bliss, takes a while to process what’s being said to him and a little longer to remember how to speak English again. “They say that your cum is what you eat…”

 

Sam leans on top of him and kisses him desperately, fierce, “Gabe, I know you’re old and shit but could you give me a hand?” and taking a deep look into whiskey eyes he adds, “Or maybe you wanna watch…”

 

“Sam!” Gabe shockingly screams.

 

“What?” Sam says, faking innocence.

 

“I’m not 18, my refractory time it’s not what it used to be… stop saying things like that!” he smirks and adds, “Of course I wanna watch… but I won’t survive if I do that now so…” he grabs Sam’s dick, lazily stroking and he kisses him. The speed and the tighten grip takes Sam by surprise and in no time Sam is shouting his name and coming all over himself.

 

“Look at the mess that came from my Samich… I’ll clean it.” he takes Sam’s wrist as he tries to move to the bathroom, “I said I’ll clean you.” and proceeds to lick Sam’s face and stomach. “You taste delicious… the fabric of your henly not so much.” he deadpans making Sam laugh.

 

“You’re a piece.”

 

“I’m perfect.”

 

“You always say that.”

 

* * *

 

Gabriel’s getting tired of continually asking his little brother who’s he dating, specially when he’s forced to share every single detail of his dates with Sam with his siblings. He knows it’s Sarah’s doing since Cassie is way too respectful of other people’s privacy, but instigated by their sister, Castiel turns into the old gossip lady at the laundromat. So Gabriel takes Sarah aside and begs for help.

 

“I need to get my hands on Cassie’s laptop.”

 

“Yeah, well, good luck with that,” she snorts, “he closes it when we come around and keeps it hidden God knows where when he’s not using it.”

 

“That’s why I need to have access, he’s hiding something.”

 

“The boyfriend.” Sarah assumes, nodding conspiratorially.

 

“No, not the boyfriend. It’s the identity of the boyfriend what he’s hiding.” he smashes his fist on the table, unable to mask his annoyance, “I know it’s Dean.”

 

“How d’you know?”

 

“I just know, okay?”

 

“Alright, I’ll help. I’ll distract him  and you can check the computer.”

 

“Okay, let’s go.” Gabriel stands and waits for her to follow.

 

“What, now?” she objects.

 

“He’s using his computer now…” he states and turns to go.

 

“Okay, no time like the present, I guess.” Sarah mutters following her big brother.

 

They stop by the half open door, Castiel is speaking quietly on the phone.

 

“I told you! They suspect something.” he then listens to the person on the other side, “I know, hun, but they’ve tried to enter my phone and it’s just fortunate that I’ve changed my password a few weeks ago… he also asks me details everytime I go out and he’s started to talk more about you…” again he remains silent while the other person speaks, “I know he knows you from before but he’s persistent and he’ll find out… sooner or later…” he smiles as he listens again, “Okay, I know… I gotta go now. They’re coming and I sense a two siblings plot…. Love you too. Bye now.”

 

Gabriel and Sarah enter the room pretending to have a conversation and Sarah takes Cassie by the arm and starts asking questions about his boyfriend, dragging him to the window to explain to him what kind of curtains she wants to purchase, but Castiel’s eyes never leave the laptop, he then goes to it and closes it and puts it into his backpack.

That’s when Gabriel seizes his opportunity. “Enough of curtains discussion, you two. We’ve got work to do, people will be here in half an hour. Sarah, you go and check the register and the counter. Cassie, check the tables and the floor. I’ll be filling the trays.” he orders.

 

They leave and after five minutes of waiting for his brother to come back, he doesn’t. He checks the front desk and sees Castiel readying the tables with details, like menus, rearranging the flowers, he’s keeping himself busy. Gabriel then goes back to the computer and opens it ready to log on.

 

Castiel’s doing his chores, relaxed knowing Gabriel’s trying to log on his laptop but not worrying about it because no matter if his brother tries a million times, he’ll never guess the password. He knows he’ll eventually have to give up and tell his brother his boyfriend’s name but it’s damn funny to see Gabriel trying to figure it out.

 

* * *

 

The Novaks have a new tradition, every Monday the three siblings go to Mary’s bakery for some family quality time. Mary and Gabriel cook and bake for the rest, and afterwards they sit with their coffees while the others clean up the mess. They’re a family or becoming one real quick.  

 

Sammy likes Mondays, the Winchesters haven’t been a big family since he can remember, but the tales of family Sundays full of relatives has always been present and Sam had always wonder how that felt. Now he knows and he loves it. But in a way it’s also frightening. He feels he shouldn’t be attached to Gabriel because he can’t allow himself to fall in love with the baker no matter how happy he makes him.

 

The truth is that Gabriel is getting under his skin and that’s even more frightening. He can’t stop the feelings inside, though. The best part of the day is when he receives a call or a text from him, he looks forward to those moments. He’s doomed and he can’t help it. The desperation comes to a point that he convinces himself that the infatuation will be over once they have proper sex. That’s why he decides to rush things in that department.

 

* * *

 

G: Morning Sammy. I was planning thanksgiving and Cassie suggested to invite Mary and you two. I think it’s an excuse to spend the day with Dean. I told him I’d check with you since we’re only an item, I wouldn’t want to step on any boundaries.

 

Sam looks at his phone, puts it on his pocket, takes it out again and checks it one more time. He’s not sure what to read into that. Is Gabriel tricking him into spending the holiday with him? Could be Castiel really the instigator? He’s clueless.

 

S: I don’t know, Gabe.

 

G: It’s ok. Don’t worry. I’ll tell Cassie he’ll have to find another excuse to see his boyfriend.

 

That makes Sam feel guilty, because if Cas and Dean are really dating he’ll be the one to make it hard on them. Also he knows his mom cares about the Novaks and she’d love to spend the holidays with them.

 

S: My mom suggested it too but I don’t know. I never do Holidays with fuck buddies.

 

G: Technically, you’d still wouldn’t be doing it.

 

S: Don’t play smart, Gabe, you know what I mean.

 

G: I know Sammy. That’s why I asked you first. It’s okay either way.

 

G: I won’t lie to you, I’d be thrilled if you wanted to spend it with me, you’re good company.

 

Sam reads and re reads the messages, still hesitant. For once he really wants to spend the holiday with the guy he’s still not fucking but he’s also afraid Gabriel could take this as a sign of something more, he may think their _item thing_ is becoming a _boyfriend thing_. That’s terrifying. As if the other man can read his mind his phone rings again.

 

G: Sam don’t overread this. I know the rules, I won’t break them. I’m a big boy and I can handle it.

 

Right… that’s nothing to panic about. Not at all. Gabriel knowing him so much he’s began to anticipate his thoughts, knowing he’d be hesitant of the prospect of spending the holiday together.

 

S: Ok. It’s neither a yes or a no. Let me think about it.

 

G: That’s all I ask. I’ll make Cassie happy too.

 

* * *

 

Sam keeps thinking about it, thinks about it all the time. He can’t help it, because he really wants to spend Thanksgiving with Gabriel. Kiss him, hold hands, carve the turkey, cuddle in front of the TV watching the parade first and football later. He wants to do it all but there’s a stabbing pain of familiar heartbreaking feelings he can’t experience again.

 

“What’s up, Winchester?” Jess takes him out of his inner protecting walls.

 

“Thanksgiving.” he replies somber.

 

“Isn’t it a little early to worry about it? We’ve got two weeks to go.”

 

“I know but Cas suggested Gabe we could spend it together and Gabe thinks he’s dating Dean.”

 

Jess nods knowingly, “You’re freaking out, aren’t you?”

 

“Am not.” he rapidly replies.

 

“Samuel Winchester, don’t lie to me. I know you better than your own mother. I’ve even seen _adult you_ naked, so I got that too.” she smirks, “Don’t look at me like that… I know it doesn’t have anything to do with anything… I just like to brag.”

 

“You’re impossible and I’m not lying. And when the hell did you see me naked?”

 

“Once you were drunk and asked me to hand you a towel when you were in the shower and what can I say, the curtains were really transparent. You’ve got a killer, uhm, body. Very proportionate.” she recalls, nonchalantly.

 

“God, Jess!” Sam’s amusedly shocked.

 

“What!? I was over you a thousand years before that, but the fact that you’re a beautiful hot man remained. I can appreciate that as you can appreciate a beautiful woman… even if your well proportionate body won’t react on in.”

 

“Gosh, I’ll never outlive this, will I?”

 

“Nopes and now stop changing the subject.”

 

“What subject?”

 

“You’re freaking out.” She repeats.

 

“A bit?”

 

“Try a lot. What did you tell him?”

 

Sam shows the WhatsApp entries, sits and lays his face on his hands.

 

“Don’t be a baby, it wasn’t that terrible. At least he knows the rules.”

 

“Does he? Would you really suggest your fuck buddy to spend the holiday with you?”

 

“Depends, if we’ve got nothing else in common than the sex then no. But if your fuck buddy’s mom is your former employer and your friend, and your brother is possibly his brother’s boyfriend… well, I think I’d invite him.”

 

“So you think I don’t have a reason to panic?”

 

“Oh no, you do have reasons to panic, but none of them is because of what Gabriel says or suggests.”

 

“What would be a good reason to panic, then?”

 

“Falling in love with the guy.” she states.

 

“I’m not falling for the guy.” Sam complains.

 

“You are. Look, I’ve seen you reject perfect men before. Handsome, successful and charming men, rejected without hesitation. You used them and threw them away. This time though. This time you keep coming back to him and you haven’t even fucked yet. When was the last time you enjoyed only talking to someone, dating. Sammy, you’re definitely falling for the guy.”

 

“I said I’m not. He’s good company, I give you that but the reason we haven’t fucked yet is because he’s gotta be up at 4AM and we haven’t found the time.”

 

“Please, you’ve gotta have something better than that, uh? Look, it’s okay, you deserve better.”

 

Sam takes a long pause to think of what Jess told him and defeated he says, “What will I do, Jess?”

 

“Oh, I don’t know… stop being a moron and enjoy something for once in your life sounds good to me.” she shrugs.

 

“I- I can’t… I don’t…”

 

“You don’t do boyfriends, I know. And you rather let someone good go because of that. Stop fighting yourself, Sam. Just accept you’re falling for him.”

 

“I won’t, what if…”

 

“Gabriel’s not Lucifer nor Brady.” She interrupts him, “You’re letting them win.”

 

“I can never be sure. Everyone’s funny and caring at the beginning when all they want is to get into your pants. After that the monster shows up. I’ve had enough monsters in my life already.”

 

“And still, Gabriel hasn’t tried to get into your pants yet. What does that say about him?”

 

“That he likes to torture me, tease me and then leave?”

 

“Okay, listen up and listen well.” she sits in front of him and levels her eyes with his, “From how many men have you taken teasing? How many men did you send to hell after two dates without sex? And again, how many dates have you and Gabriel had?”

 

“Enough…”

 

“And you’re not fucking him or rejecting him.”

 

Sam has a blank look in his eyes, not knowing what to say. He shifts in his chair, serious demeanor darkening his features.

 

“Sam, Gabriel’s not Brady. He’s as far from Brady as you can tell.” She waits a few seconds for the reminder to sink into Sam’s head, “I’ll say it again, I’ll say it as many times as you need: Gabriel is not Brady and he’ll never be. Sam… you’ve got to let Brady go once and for all.”

 

“I let…” he trails off as he sees her hand held up.

 

“I know you’re over him. I know you don’t love him anymore and yet you let him rule your life. I think it’s time for you to give Brady’s ghost the finger and stop being a moron.”

 

“How? I don’t know how to do it.” Sam protests.

 

“First, you tell him yes. Don’t lose him, I’m serious.”

 

Sam nods, looking at her with puppy eyes, pleading for something.

 

“Oh no! No, Winchester, stop! I said… Okay, quit the puppy eyes, gimme your phone.” she takes it from his hand and starts typing.

 

S: I was talking with Jess and thinking. A holiday together will make my mom happy and we can spy on our brothers.

 

“Done.” she states handling the phone back to him, “Can we go back to work now?”

 

Sam nods happily and they go back to editing the last show they filmed. They’re in the middle of deciding whether to use a frame of the busboy throwing the contents of a tray to the floor or not when the Sam receives an answer.

 

G: I made arrangements with your mom. Have a nice day, Sammy. TTYL.

 

Sam frowns, the message is cold, impersonal. Something must have happened or maybe he’s just over reading, as Gabriel had said. He just hopes nothing’s happened because he feels he’s turning into a 15 years old girl with a celebrity crush.

 

* * *

 

Thanksgiving plans are made by Mary and Gabriel, the rest have to just show up well dressed and on time. The location will be Gabe’s bakery. They begin preparations early in the morning, after a few hours of bonding over cooking and baking and when everything was ready or in the oven, Mary goes upstairs for a quick shower and change of clothes. The rest of the attendees, AKA the kids, arrive almost at the same time and impeccably dressed.

 

Feels like an actual party.

 

Gabriel opens the door and greets everyone with a grin, he gives Sam a quick hug and a pat on the back. Sam’s feelings of something going wrong increase. Every time Sam had met Gabriel, he had kissed him on the cheek if there were any family around or a sweet peck if they were alone and lately everything was worth a full kiss on the lips. Sam can’t imagine what had changed, what could be causing this change in his behaviour towards him. Fair enough, he had doubts about this whole party but it took him no more than a few minutes to give his thumb up. He wants to know, and he wants to know now, but he can’t find a moment to ask Gabriel if something’s wrong, he also wants to cool down because this kind of approaches leaves him too close to the boyfriend area. So he tries to relax and enjoy the evening.

 

Castiel and Dean, along with Sarah, Charlie and Gilda are watching the parade in a TV that Gabriel has set specially for the occasion. Mary and Gabriel are at the kitchen giving the food their last touches. Sam remains still in the middle of the room not knowing which group to join.

 

“Sammy, why don’t you finish setting the table?” Mary asks from the kitchen, “There’s a table with the silverware and the napkins by the wall.”

 

With a task in mind, he feels a bit better. Silently thanking his mom, he sets in motion. He’s bringing the napkins to the table when Benny and Jess arrive. He smiles his greeting.

When the food call is made by Mary, her kids begin to fight over who’s turn to carve the turkey it is while the rest laugh at them and take their seats.

 

“I’m gonna put an end to your argument, since Gabby and I did the cooking, we’ll also be doing the carving. Now go sit and behave.”

 

The Winchester brothers may be adults but mom’s orders are mom’s orders so they obey. They go to take their seats bumping their shoulders, like any other set of brothers.

 

Sam sits in the middle seat of the left side, not wanting to give anyone the wrong idea. He’s confused enough about Gabriel and he really needs to figure it out or at least that’s what he tells himself in his mind, his heart tells him to be next to Gabe, help him, take care of him. His mind prevails, for now.

 

The extended family eat and chat, then they watch football while eating pie. Mary warns Dean to leave enough for the rest when he tries to serve himself half of a pumpkin pie in one piece.

 

Gabriel manages to avoid Sam for most of the evening, but then Mary had to open his lovely motherly mouth and order them both to do the dishes. Gabe’s not thanking her at all.

 

They’re both forced to do exactly the opposite they’ve been trying to accomplish the whole day. Gabriel does some small talking about his day and customers’ tales, trying to lighten the kitchen atmosphere. He focuses on the dishes, on the water pressure, the soup, anything but the man standing next to him.

 

“Gabe, is everything okay?” Sam can’t take it anymore.

 

“Why wouldn’t it be?” Gabriel replies almost dropping a plate into the sink, saving it from breaking only by habit or experience.

 

“Because you’re acting weird.” Sam points out, “You’ve avoided being alone with me and that’s not very you.”

 

“Sammy…” he turns around, leaning back on the sink, drying his hands with a dishtowel, “I didn’t want you to feel uncomfortable in front of your family and friends. For all I know you didn’t want me here anyway. And as we stated early that… this,” Gabriel circles his hand on the space between them, “it’s not even a relationship, in first place and right now I don’t even know if we’re friends.”

 

“I did want to be here, I just didn’t want you to have the wrong impression.” Sam replies rathe sheepishly.

 

“I might be old, Sammy, but I’m not deaf. I heard you when you said no boyfriends and I accepted it.” Gabe crosses his arms in front, an obvious sign of closing down on himself.

 

“Yeah, you say that now. Later you’ll fall in love and ruin everything. Happened to me enough times already.” Sam recalls, careless of his word choice.

 

“Well,” Gabe manages to say around the lump on his throat, “You don’t have to worry about that with me.” he can feel the iron curtain falling inside him, protective and cold.

 

“So… we’re good?” Sam tastes the waters, “you’re not madly in love with me.” he thinks he’s joking. Gabriel doesn’t find it funny in the slightest.

 

“Sam, we’ll never be other than good.” Gabriel says honestly but there’s hurt in his voice that Sam chooses to ignore.

 

“Look… I could never feel uncomfortable. One of the things I like about hanging around with you is how tactile you are.”

 

“Tactile?” Gabriel asks, turning back to finish doing the dishes.

 

“Tactile. You’re all hands and that’s hot.” Sam tries to lighten the mood. He approaches the baker from behind and hugs him tight.

 

“So I’m hot… good to know.” Gabriel says over his shoulder.

 

“Oh don’t be shy. You’re hot and you know it.” he swings a bit, kissing Gabe’s neck time and time again until the baker can’t take it any longer and, rapidly drying his hands, he turns around trapping Sam’s lips between his, kissing gently for a while until they need to come up for air.

 

“I wanted to do this all day.” Gabriel whispers against Sam’s lips.

 

“So why didn’t you?”

 

“I told you already.”

 

“Don’t stop being yourself on my behalf, Gabe. I’m a big boy too.”

 

Gabriel smiles and stands on his toes to shorten the height difference, “And what a big boy you are…”

 

Sam snorts, feeling his own worries lower, “Yeap, that’s the Gabriel I know and…” he trails off, suddenly conscious of his words.

 

“And what?” Gabriel insists.

 

“And like.” he answers after a few milliseconds of fidgeting with words and trying not to look as confused as he feels.

 

“So… you like me, uh?” Gabriel says coyly.

 

“I don’t spend time around people I don’t like, Gabe.”

 

For once Gabriel is speechless, he can’t find words that won’t threaten their not relationship precarious balance. Fortunately that’s when Mary chooses to enter the kitchen. “You done here, kids?” she suspiciously looks at the closeness of the two men and smiles, clearing her throat and turning around to go back to the tables she says, “I want a coffee and this machine is weird. I can’t find Castiel to help me and Sarah’s fallen asleep in one of the couches.”

 

“I bet Dean is missing too.” Sam thinks out loud.

 

“On the way, Marylamb.” they leave the kitchen after Mary to find her looking at the coffee machine as if she was trying to apply logic to Doctor Who.

 

“You know you should never try to apply logic to Doctor Who, right?” she turns around and looks at Gabe even more confused, Gabriel laughs and goes help her, “It’s easy, you just have to…” Gabriel explains the way the machine works while Sam stays around looking at them interact. He takes a look around and confirms what he had suspected, Dean is also missing.

 

“When did my brother leave?” he asks Benny, who’s on the couch looking awkwardly at a sleeping beauty Sarah.

 

“Uhm dunno, about thirty minutes ago? He said he needed to fetch something from the car… he must have parked really far away.”

 

“Castiel also left…” Jess joins the conversation.

 

“They definitely are up to something.” Sam tells her.

 

“We could go out to take some air…” she proposes winking at him.

 

“That’s an amazing idea… but we’ll need to be really sneaky. We’ve been following them with Gabe and we’ve never catched them in fraganti. They’ve got everything figured out, they’ve got Castiel’s friend Meg to cover them…”

 

“Bastards!” Benny mutters.

 

“We’ll catch them eventually,” Sam shrugs, “right now I rather have coffee than follow sneaky brothers.”

 

The evening goes smoothly after that, all the tension in the air vanished, Sam and Gabriel stop avoiding each other and sit on the table with everyone else to chat and laugh, they can relax and be themselves.

 

About thirty minutes after the coffee round’s started, Dean shows up with the lame excuse of someone calling him while he was on the street to help with a car problem. Castiel enters not five minutes later saying nothing to justify his absence. None of the presents comment on their kiss bruised lips.

 

* * *

 

Two months after they started their _no relationship_ Gabriel wants to move on and have sex with Sam. Proper full sex. Doing nothing but handjobs and blowjobs for over two months is weird. And Gabriel is expert in weirdness. They’re supposed to be fuck buddies, so where’s the fuck? He invites Sam to his house to find out.

 

Gabriel takes hours to set the right atmosphere, he cooks light but afrodisiac, chooses a light white wine to go with it. He changes the sheets for a new black velvet set he purchased specially for this occasion. He relaxes over a long nice bubble bath. He sets the condoms and lube over the nightstand and puts on his finest cologne.

 

Sam arrives on time and Gabe takes a deep breath before opening the door. Sam, wine glass in hand, relaxes as Gabriel arranges the small bites in a plate, finger food is key.

 

After a few minutes of chatting over dinner, Gabriel charges, “I got something I’d like to discuss with you.”

 

Sam’s face transforms into something Gabriel’s never seen before, “I knew it!” Sam says, standing up abruptly, “You want more.”

 

“I’d say it’s about time, don’t you think?” Gabriel stands up as well, ready to defend his decision.

 

“I can’t, Gabe… I told you!” Sam almost screams.

 

“What?” Gabriel asks confused.

 

“I knew this would eventually happen! It was too damn good…” Sam starts pacing the floor, “I knew you wouldn’t stick to the no boyfriend rule. You were too caring, too nice.. I wanted to believe… but I can’t.” Sam fights back his tears, “We talked about this at Thanksgiving and you said you were not falling for me, you promised you wouldn’t. And now here we are… you’re asking for more and I can’t give it to you. I can’t be that person again. I’m sorry.” he takes his coat from the hanging on the wall, “I knew that my no boyfriend rule would be eventually too much for you but I was hoping you could really cope with it. I was stupid. Goodbye Gabriel.” Sam slams the door on his way out.

 

Gabriel remains impassive while Sam has his outburst, too hurt to even try to take Sam out of his confusion.  He twice made a motion to interrupt Sam’s speech but by the end of it he’s quite pissed off. He wanted to have sex, that much is true, and he kept telling himself that that was the only thing in his agenda. But also he really thought he was making some serious progress in the boyfriend status issue.

 

He slams the dish into the sink, breaking it to tiny pieces. He pours the wine in the sink and throws everything into the trash without even trying to recycle. He feeds the remaining plates and glasses to the dishwasher, undresses, throws the condoms and lube into the drawer and goes to sleep. Only he tosses underneath the freaking silk sheets. Sleep doesn’t come easy, being constantly on the verge of tears doesn’t help. These are tears of anger because he should have chosen different words, words that wouldn’t have led Sam to misunderstand his moves. He’s mad at himself but also mad at Sam for not giving him enough credit. Tears finally find their way out and he falls asleep crying in anger and despair.

 

* * *

 

Next Monday Gabriel goes to Mary’s in autopilot. He’s given this enough thinking, and decided he wouldn’t let his friendship with Mary be ruined because of Sam. He does his best to be funny and make everyone laugh but Mary sees beyond. The family form little groups to chat about different things, some having coffee, others whiskey. She takes him away from the rest at coffee time and pushes an answer from him because he’s not being really himself.

 

“I had a misunderstanding with Sam.” he confesses before he can take himself out of it. This is his _whatever_ ’s mother… he’s not sure it’s proper to talk this out with her. But hell, she’s also his friend.

 

“Pass me the cups.” she asks, “What kind of misunderstanding?”

 

“The kind you don’t discuss with your fuckbuddy’s mom.”

 

“I see… I thought you were dating, though.”

 

“Sam still won’t do boyfriends, Mary. Maybe you should really talk to him about that.”

 

“Yeah, I probably should, but I thought he was breaking his rule for you… he looks so happy around you.”

 

“I thought he would get to that eventually. I mean, I was willing to wait for the oversized ostrich to take his head off the ground but I was stupid and made a bad words choice and hell broke loose. He accused me of breaking the rules and…”

 

“Oh Gabby…”

 

“Don’t, Marylambs, it’s okay. He made his choice and I won’t force him to do something he feels uncomfortable with.”

 

“My kid’s a moron.” she deadpans.

 

“Can’t argue that.”

 

She looks at the coffee she’s pouring and states, “You need something stronger than coffee today.”

 

Gabriel doesn’t give any indications of having heard her, “Brady really broke him, uh?”

 

“You have no idea, Gabe. But that’s a story he’s gotta tell you.”

 

“He told me something but I don’t think that’s the whole story…”

 

“I think the only one that knows the whole real story is Jess, she was at Stanford and was the one to pick up the pieces. God bless her.”

 

“Yeah..” he trails off as remembering something, “You said something about booze?”

 

Mary laughs, “Yeah, go to the kitchen and get us two beers. For now.”

 

Gabriel complies and as soon as he enters the kitchen he finds Dean and Cas making out in the walk in fridge. They were so distracted kissing and groping that never noticed him, Gabriel had time to take pictures from different angles, hating himself for not taking the keys sound off,  his second instinct was to send some of them to Sam but he stops himself before pressing send. He sends the pictures to Sarah instead.

 

G: Now it’s official, sis. Get ready for teasing time.

 

S: LOL we’ve got them. Woohoo!

 

* * *

 

“Dean?” Cas whispers right into Dean’s mouth, “I think someone entered the kitchen.” he manages to say before Dean’s tongue cuts his ability to form other than guttural sounds.

 

Dean stays still for a second, breaking the kiss and hating it, “I don’t hear anything.” he states and attacks Cas’ mouth again.

 

“Was that a camera click?”

 

“Shit.” Dean’s suddenly in the mood to kill someone, “I’ll go check, stay here my love.” he peers into the kitchen and finding nobody he goes back to kissing Cas senseless.

 

* * *

 

Gabriel shrugs when Mary looks at his empty hands with a questioning look. “Sorry, Marylambs, I couldn’t enter the fridge, it was occupied.”

 

“By whom?”

 

“Wanna see? I took a picture… or a couple.” Gabe selects the most innocent picture, that’s the one where no tongue can be seen, and shows it to Mary.

 

Mary laughs, obviously pleased, “God, finally!”

 

“Excuse me?” Gabriel asks.

 

“These two idiots been dancing around each other for ages, since when you worked here. I think they had something back then but I can’t be sure. I remember Castiel following Dean around like a puppy when you were kids.”

 

“I never knew that, and I wasn’t a kid.”

 

“I’m a mom, you’re all still kids for me.” she tenderly pats his face, “Thought already what you’re gonna do about Sammy?”

 

“No, Marylambs. I won’t stop coming here on Mondays but I don’t want to bother him.”

 

Sam looks at him from the opposite corner of the bakery as driven for an invisible force and Gabriel makes himself change the subject. Last thing he wants is to make Sam think he’s convincing Mary to advocate for him.

 

* * *

 

Sam’s sitting in front of his laptop doing research about the place they’ve got scheduled for the next episode of the show. Knowing in advance where they’re going to shoot and a little story of the bakery, helps him to make the right questions and makes everything easier. Jess is looming around, looking at him with intent, she tries to initiate a conversation several times, but she always backs up losing her confidence. Sam knows what she wants to ask him but tries to deflect. He’s reading the same website for the sixth time without understanding a word he’s reading when she finally finds her resolution, she shuts his laptop and sits on the desk facing him.

 

“Stop it, Winchester.” she holds up her hand making him shut up like only she can do it, “Stop pretending you’re working. This site sucks, it doesn’t even have good music and yet you’ve been here for forty minutes.”

 

“What do you want, Jessica?”

 

“Talk to me.”

 

“What about?”

 

“I can do this all night. Talk to me, Winchester.”

 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Sam stubbornly says.

 

“Oh gosh, you’re sulking and pouting, you’ve obviously haven’t been sleeping well. And you’re too distracted.”

 

“I’m not!”

 

“You are. You’ve done this research last week. You even have the notes loaded in you Ipad.” she stops his complains, “I’ve known you since college, you won’t fool me. Something happened. Now spill.” she arches an eyebrow and waits.

 

“Fine.” he gives in, “Gabriel happened. What every single guy wants happened. Happy?”

 

“He asked for more?” she cautiously asks.

 

“I think those were his words of choice.”

 

“So you got mad and left.” she asums.

 

“Of course I got mad! We had a deal!”

 

“Sam, you can’t make deals on people’s feelings.”

 

“Of course not. But I was clear about that and he agreed. No boyfriends. The minute he started having feelings for me he should have stopped seeing me.”

 

“And you want that because you don’t have feelings of your own for the guy.”

“Right.”

 

“Yeah, keep telling yourself that until you believe it.”    

 

“I don’t have feelings for him, how many times do I have to say it?”

 

“Right…” she sighs resigned, “You don’t, sorry, I keep forgetting.”

 

“Jess, please…”

 

“Please what, Sam? People who don’t have feelings for someone else don’t sulk.”

 

“I’m not…”

 

“Whatever Sam. You can deny it as much as you want, but people _see_ , you know? I’ve seen you discarding men like moths, men that offered you the moon and stars and you turned your back at  them without looking back, not even once.”

 

Sam remains silent, there’s not a single word he can think to say, nothing forming in his mind. He can’t even think about Gabriel, let alone about his feelings for the guy. It’s Jess, once again, who breaks the silence, tired of waiting for him to talk.

 

“You’re letting Brady win, you know that, right?” she softly says.

 

“Win?”

 

“Yes, win. He wanted you for your dad’s name and firm, and you let him have you. And when all hell broke loose you chose to run away, you didn’t even punch him. Back then I thought it was good for you, being mad and shut him out but I eventually realized you weren’t shutting _him_ out, you were shutting _everyone_ out. You’ve been alone and unhappy.” she gets down from the desk and kneels in front of him to have him look at her in the eyes, his head lowered in pain. “I know you’ve been having sex but you’re losing something in the equation. Sex is not always about love, sometimes love is not about sex either. Sam, you didn’t even have sex with the guy. Have you ever asked yourself the reason? Why you’ve put up with his slow pace? Why you haven’t pushed it further sooner? Tell me one thing, Sam. Why are you sulking and not sleeping for a guy you don’t have feelings for?”

 

Sam looks up at her now, eyes rimmed red, “I do like him, Jess. He’s funny and cute and intelligent, a great baker, he’s got the most perfect laugh and his face lights up when he smiles. He’s interesting.” he doesn’t even realize he’s talking so much, or the passion he’s putting in the speech, “He can talk about pretty much anything, you can’t get bored around him. He likes pranking. He’s obnoxious and bit of an asshole when he wants, and he’s short. But his heart is golden. Dammit, I do like him.”

 

“And you insist you don’t have feelings for this guy. Well, Sammy dear, you’re an idiot. You’re losing an amazing person that makes you happy because you choose to let the ghost of you douche ex boyfriend make you believe that you’re not worthy of being loved.”

 

“No, you’re wrong there. I _don’t want_ to be loved. I don’t want to give someone else the power to make me weaker.”

 

“You fool, love doesn’t make you weaker. Brady never loved you, he used you to escalate. Luke was never your best friend, he also used you. Honey, they would have betrayed you no matter what you could have given them. It’s in their nature. Let Gabriel go and those assholes win.”

 

Sam remains quiet, thoughtful, frowning. He’s trying to make a decision. So Jess lets him alone with his thoughts.

 

* * *

 

Sam needs something strong and something sweet so he goes to his mom’s place. He sits in a corner of the counter, trying to hide from the world and asks for a chocolate cake and a beer. He won’t get drunk with a beer but he doesn’t plan on stopping with one. He’s surprised to be served by his own brother.

 

“Drinking your pain away at this time of the day, Sammy? I’m shocked.” Dean greets him.

 

“It’s five o’clock, Dean, you’re the one that says that it’s a good time to start drinking.”

 

“Yeah, that’s me, not you.”

 

“Well, I need it so suck it up.”

 

Dean plays the fool by cleaning the counter in front of Sam, waiting for the right moment to talk, “Mind to tell me what’s in that overqualified brain of yours?”

 

“Not particularly.” Sam deflects.

 

“C’mon baby bro, spill!”

 

“Yeah, no thank you.” Sam declines.

 

“Don’t make me tackle you. I’ll do it, don’t doubt it.” Dean threatens.

 

“Okay, I’ll talk if you talk first.” Sam contrattacks.

 

“I got nothing to talk about.” Dean says nonchalantly.

 

“Right, you don’t…” Sam chuckles, “What’s your boyfriend’s name?”

 

“Yeah, right… I don’t want to play anymore.”

 

“C’mon big bro. A little quid pro quo,here. You tell me and I’ll tell you.”

 

“Fucking lawyerly little brother.” Dean murmurs, leaving his brother alone with his beer.

 

Sam smiles to himself and startles at a slap on his neck. “Hey!” he turns around ready to have an argument but he recovers his smile and greets, “Oh hi mom. What was that for?”

 

“Because you’re an idiot.” she kisses his cheek, “Hi, baby.”

 

“Mom… not you too!” he complains, “why does everybody think it’s okay to meddle with my life?”

 

“I don’t know who the rest is but I’m your mother and it’s my job.”

 

“He talked to you last Monday, did he?”

 

“Yes,” she looks at him with sorrow eyes, “he didn’t want to talk but I, uhm let’s say I used my mother tone with him.”

 

“Mom, seriously, don’t meddle.”

 

“How should I not? You look unhappy, I know for a fact that he’s unhappy. Only logical thing is you go and talk to him.”

 

“And tell him what? He has feeling for me and I don’t want that.”

 

“You really can’t think you can control people’s feelings, can you? You can handle your own feelings.” she leans her chin on her fist, “How are you in that department?”

 

“Mom…”

 

“Sammy…”

 

“I just can’t do it.”

 

“Why not? He’s not Brady or Luke.”

 

“No, he’s not. But he made a promise and he couldn’t keep it.”

 

“Really? So you’re saying is he promised he wouldn’t develop have any feelings for you.”

 

“No, but he told me he could handle the fact that I don’t do boyfriends.”

 

“Sam, you have to understand that if didn’t know you do have feelings for this man we wouldn’t be having this conversation. But I know best.”

 

“I choose not to have feelings so I’m not having them.” he stubbornly says.

 

“That’s not how it works and you know it.” she accuses him.

 

“Mom… I don’t know what to do.”

 

“I can help you with that. Go talk to him.”

 

“About what? There’s nothing I wanna tell him.”

 

“You’re repeating yourself. Man up and tell him you’re sorry and that you love him or tell him you don’t and stick to that lie. But this- this _I don’t want to be your boyfriend_ stuff is killing you both because all he can read about that is that you’re scared.”

 

“I am.”

 

“Good.”

 

“Good?”

 

“Yes. because it means you’re not broken, you’re just a little shabby.”

 

She stands up and he lowers his head to allow her to kiss his forehead like he knows she likes, “Think about it. Enjoy the food and don’t get drunk. I got enough with your brother in that department.”

 

* * *

 

Dean and Castiel meet at the back of the bakery to sneak out on a date to a dark room in Meg’s house. Bless that demon of a woman and her unicorn.

 

As Dean drives them away, Castiel tells him about his day. “My brother is not okay and the bakery is suffering it. He bakes like crazy but for some reason he’s not doing it well. We’ve got tons of cookies we can’t sell because they’re horrible and if for some miracle they’re edible, he makes too many. At this rate we’re gonna be out of business in no time.”

 

Dean takes his hand over the leather seat. “Sam’s sulking and seems a dead man walking. We had to cancel last week shooting because he can’t smile at the camera and stutters his lines. We had to film the general parts but we’ll have to come back soon to complete the interviews part. He’s not getting better and I don’t know what to do.”

“I tried to talk to Gabriel but he dismisses me saying that Sam’s made his decision and he will stick to that. Dean I don’t know how to help him and that’s killing me.”

 

“There’s nothing you can do, babe. They will get better, one way or another. Or so we can hope.”

 

At a stop light Dean leans in and hugs Castiel tight kissing him tenderly.

 

“Dean?” Cas tries to call his boyfriend’s attention, getting only a guttural sound of acknowledge, “I know we said that we’ll tell the world about us soon but I don’t think this is a good moment.”

 

“I agree. I hope they stop being so miserable soon because I want to bring you home for Christmas this year.”

 

“Really?” Cas is happy beyond himself.

 

“Yeah, babe. I need you.”

 

“I love you too, Dean.”

 

* * *

 

Two weeks of thinking. Two weeks of sulking. Two weeks of driving everyone crazy with his misery. Two weeks of having everyone ready to kill him. Two weeks is the time that takes Sam to decide texting Gabriel.

 

S: Hi. How are you?

G: Hello Sam.

S: Can we meet?  
G. What for?

S: I wanna talk.

G: About what? You made yourself pretty clear.

S: I know. I got something else I wanna say.

G: So, say it.

S: Not over the chat or a phone.

G: I don’t have time.

S: I know your schedule. Sunday night? Over dinner?

G: It’s been more than two weeks. I could have changed my schedule and close on Wednesday now.

S: So, meet me on Tuesday instead.

G: We didn’t change it. Don’t assume you know me.

S: I know you Gabe and I’m sorry.

G: So much for not doing it over the phone.

S: Yeah. you are right. So Sunday at 7?

G: I don’t know.

S: Just hear me out, then you can go and never talk to me again.

G: Yeah because that’s gonna happen.

S: You can still see my mom. I’ll keep his Mondays _Sam free_.

G: Pick me at 7.

S: See you on Sunday Gabe.

 

Gabriel never answers back but Sam’s relaxed anyway because now he has a goal. Gabriel needs to understand, now he’s got time to think on how to make that happen.

 

* * *

 

Sunday comes too fast and not fast enough at the same time. Sam’s been in front of his closet door for over half an hour looking for something nice to wear. Dean would tease him about being the stereotype of a gay man, he’s got tons of clothes but finds nothing suitable for his date. After serious consideration he settles for a very well fit black jeans and a nice blue dress shirt. He even puts on his best dress shoes. He checks his hair in the mirror and leaves taking his car keys before second guessing himself.

 

Gabriel’s outside the bakery waiting for him. Sam can’t help to admire how gorgeous he looks, but shakes the thought out of his head. He’s gotta stick to his purpose or everything would have been in vain.

 

“Hello Samuel.” Gabriel greets him, unusually formal.

 

“Hi, Gabe.” Sam says as he circles the car to open Gabe’s door.

 

“I’m not a girl nor I’m handicap Samuel. I can open my own door.”

 

“I know,” Sam agrees, already sitting behind the steering wheel, “I’m just being polite.”

 

“Well, no need for that.” Gabriel dismisses him, “I’m starving and you’ve got something to tell me, so you better hurry our way.”

 

“The ride to the diner is both short and uncomfortable. Very unlike them. They enter the place, pick a table and read the menus. They haven’t said a word since the car roared to life. Until the waitress approaches to take their orders.

 

“I want the Heart attack experience. Medium rare with chilly cheese fries and a beer. Whatever you’ve got on tap.” Gabriel orders without hesitation..

 

“Really?” Sam says, horrified.

 

“You’ve got a problem with that, Samuel?” Gabriel defies.

 

“Not at all.” he smiles at the waitress, “I’ll have the baby back ribs, spicy, very hot. I’d like caesar salad and fries as sides and I’ll also have whatever beer you’ve got on tap. And keep that coming.” he handles the menus to the waitress and waits for her to leave before turning to Gabriel.

 

“You’re planning on getting drunk, Samuel?”

 

“You keep calling me Samuel. Why?”

 

“It’s your name, isn’t it?”

 

“Yeah but nobody’s called me that since college.”

 

“Boomer.” Gabriel deadpans.

 

“Gabriel could you please stop it?” Sam pleads.

 

“Stop what?”

 

“This. This isn’t you.”

 

“Oh you mean this is not funny, handsy, caring Gabriel? Damn right it isn’t. This is the pissed off Gabriel. But as I said already, I’m starving so food first, speak later.”

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

“I’ll stop you right there. Read my lips: _not before eating_. Food here is amazing and I want to enjoy it.”

 

The waitress arrives with their beers and Sam takes his in one gulp. The waitress brings another after a few minutes.

 

“Are we ignoring each other until the food arrives?”

 

“Sounds like a plan.”

 

“Gabe…”

 

“It’s Gabriel for you and if you’ve got any complaints, the door is right there.”

 

“I suppose I deserve it.”

 

“Oh ya think.” Gabriel drinks a long sip of his beer to avoid saying everything that goes through his mind.

 

Gabriel takes his phone out of his pocket and starts checking his social medias. If he takes a single look into Sam’s eyes he’ll lose it and will ask him to take him back, no matter what. Sam can’t stay still and starts to play with his napkin, silently praying for the kitchen to hurry.

 

It takes the food ten more minutes to arrive. Gabriel’s dish is a monstrosity of fries, onion rings, fried chicken, steak, ribs, jalepeño poppers, bacon bits, deep fried shrimps, mozzarella sticks and in a middle of that a salad.

 

“You’re going to eat all that?” Sam tries to mask the horror he feels, to little avail. “You’re gonna have a heart attack!”

 

“Hence the name and I’ll lick the bowl, Samuel.”

 

They eat in silence. Sam looking at Gabe finish the larger than life plate while he eats his very spicy hot ribs, helping them down with two more beers. By the time the fourth beer is in his hand, he’s still waiting for Gabriel to finish his salad.

 

“Poor salad.” Sam whines.

 

“What?”

 

“It never stood a chance.” he deadpans.

 

“Yeah, well, she always knew she wouldn’t be eaten. I also could have done something to avoid her remain uneaten.” Gabriel confesses,

 

“What could you have done?”

 

“Tell the cook not to put it there. It’s not my first time here or with the dish. I was selfish and inconsiderate.”

 

“With the salad?”

 

“With the person that made the salad. With the people that could have eaten it. With the hungry people of the world.”

 

“About a salad?” Sam incredulously reiterates.

 

“Yes, Samuel, about a salad.” Gabriel prefers to finish his second beer and signal the waitress to bring another.

 

“We’re not talking about the salad anymore, are we?”

 

“What d’ya think, Samuel?”

 

“I’m sorry.” Sam sheepishly whispers.

 

“About what?” Gabriel asks, unmercifully.

 

“About the way I treated you the last time we saw each other.” Sam rushes his statement before he chickens out, “You were saying something, I cut you off and I flew away.”

 

“Oh yeah, you mean you assumed whatever you wanted and never let me say a word.” he tsks.

 

“Assumed?”

 

“Yes, Samuel, assumed.”

 

“What did I assume?” Sam spats back.

 

“That I was fool enough that knowing how you feel about it, I chose to ignore it and I was about to tell you I was not only falling for you but also I was already in love with you. You assumed I was naive and stupid.”

 

“But you said you wanted more… what els…”

 

“Seems you’re not as smart as everyone thinks, Samuel.” he’s hurting so Gabriel thought only fair to hurt Sam a bit too, “Yes, I was asking for more. Dude, how many clues someone has to plant around? Scented candles, tight pants, aphrodisiac food and _fuck me standing_ music. You assumed whatever your reflection and fears dictated you. I was not asking for a boyfriend, I just wanted to be fucked. We had messed around for two fucking months, Samuel, I’m not a teenager, I was horny as fuck.” he almost yells, making the surrounding tables look at them and the waitress almost spill their beers.

 

Sam can’t close his mouth, he’s shocked. He wouldn’t know what to answer, anyway. He seems frozen for good five minutes. Gabriel doesn’t have anything else to say, so he just waits for Sam to react. Sam eventually moves his eyes away from Gabriel’s and looks down at the floor rather embarrassed. The fifth beer is in his hand ready to be consumed. He shakes his head, opens his mouth and closes it back several times in succession, he looks like a cartoon. Gabriel takes pity of him, sort of.

 

“So yes, Samuel. I wanna fuck. Just plain and simple. And yes, I do have feelings for you but I was fulfilling my part of the deal. You said no boyfriends, but you never asked me not to have feelings. I would eventually moved on, or you would have changed your mind but I’m not 20, Samuel. I’m a big boy and I can handle whatever deal I make.”

 

“I’m sorry.” Sam repeats.

 

“What are you sorry about, Sam?” he’s taken his anger out, he can call him Sam again. Other nicknames will have to wait.

 

“For everything.” Sam states, simple, true.

 

“That’s a lot to be sorry for.” Gabe sips his beer, avoiding Sam’s eyes.

 

“I was a fool.”

 

“Truer words ’ve never been spoken.” he arches his eyebrows.

 

“Let me speak… please.”

 

“Sorry, go ahead.”

 

“I was a fool. You are an awesome person and I was having an amazing time with you. For the first time I can remember I wasn’t thinking in ways of ditching you. I wasn’t even considering to end things. The fact that I was happy with the pace we’d set on the way to have sex didn’t bother me, I was happy doing what we were and waiting for the proper sex to just happen. You can’t understand how frightening it was for me to realize that. I didn’t want to have feelings for you. I didn’t want to be that guy anymore. I do now. I want all that back, Gabe.”

 

“Oh kiddo, I want that back too. With all my heart. But you’re still comparing me to that asshole you dated ten years ago. I’m not him and I’ll never be. I can’t have you back now.”

 

Sam eyes shot open as wide as possible and his mouth can’t settle to a word to begin talking. He’s shocked. He’s thought of the chance of Gabriel rejecting him but he never really believed it. Facing the truth hurts like a motherfucker. Sam’s seeing white.

 

“But- I mean, why? We were good together…” he barely manages to speak up the words.

 

“Yes, we were but I told you, I do have feelings for you and I want more. I can’t go back to be your fuck buddy, not anymore. At least not just that. I want more, I _need_ more. Eventually, I’ll want to be your boyfriend.”

 

“How about now?” Sam says calmly.

 

“What?” Gabriel’s beer stops middle way.

 

“You heard me, don’t make me say it again.”

 

“Sam… I’m not gonna be an experiment.” Gabe firmly states.

 

“Gabriel… I’m… God, you will make me say it, uh?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Fine. I… Imfallingforyoutoo.” he rushes.

 

“I’m sorry, I didn't understand that.” he turns his head to the left, using his hand as a cone to hear better.

 

“Gabriel, c’mon!” Sam laughs.

 

“Samuel!” Gabe laughs back.

 

“Can we get the hell out of here?” Sam pleads.

 

“Where to?”

 

“To wherever I can kiss you senseless… and fuck you against a wall.”

 

“I never said yes.” Gabriel points out.

 

“Well so? Will you say it now?”

 

Gabriel takes his wallet out and throws some bills on the table he stands up and, lending a hand to Sam, he asks, “Will you?”

 

“Always.” Sam takes his hand with his brightest smile.

 

* * *

 

Gabriel’s bakery’s closer to the diner. Gabriel spent the whole trip back looking at Sam’s lips and trying not to salivate. They don’t touch each other, they don’t speak. But the tension in the car is unbearable. They manage to breathe in a cloud of heavy hot air. Sam couldn't be hornier.

 

As soon as the apartment door closes, Sam spins Gabriel to kiss him passionately, his lips tasting like lifesaver. Hands over the baker’s body. Clothes being ripped apart from their bodies, mouths and hands roaming each other bodies.

 

“Bed now!” Gabriel orders

 

“I said wall.” Sam reminds him.

 

“Sorry kid, lube and condoms are in the bedroom.” Gabriel says, trying to disentangle from Sam.

 

Sam reluctantly lets him move, “Bed it is.” he decides and they move towards the bedroom, but they never really stop kissing or touching. It’d be fair to say that the bed found them or that they fell onto it by chance because there was no way any of them knew where they were going.

 

Gabriel stretches his arm to manage taking the lube and condoms from the nightstand drawer and keeps them handy on the pillow under his head.

 

Sam takes time to open Gabriel. He starts by kissing Gabriel’s chest, taking time with the spots makes him squirm. Licking and sucking his nipples. Kissing and biting his belly button. Avoiding his dick to lick and nip at this thighs.

 

“Come on Sam”

 

“You want something, Gabe?”

 

“Don’t make me beg”

 

“But you are so pretty begging.” says Sam, licking a path from Gabriel’s thigh to the side of his dick

 

“How you know?”

 

“I just know”

 

Eventually Sam took Gabriel’s cock in his mouth while he part his legs and grabs his ass.

 

“Oh my Chuck Sam” it’s the only thing Gabriel can articulate.

 

Sam lubes his index and circles Gabriel’s hole and sucking a little.

 

“Sam please. I’m not 20 anymore. This will end pretty quickly if you don’t stop now”

 

“See... pretty” Sam says, releasing Gabriel’s cock. He takes more lube and circles Gabriel’s hole. Sam leans to kiss him, pushing the first finger in. He takes his time thrusting one finger in, two and then three.

 

Sam looks at Gabriel. Gabriel flushed from cheeks to toes. Gabriel naked in all his glory. So open and willing to take him. Writhing and almost begging to be taken.

 

“Sam...”

 

“You should see yourself, Gabe...so good... so beautiful... wanting me... waiting for me... Open up and taking my fingers like a pro. Tell me what you want me to do next.”

 

Gabriel snorts and roll his eyes “Seriously? Are you fucking kidding me?”

 

“Nop. Gabe... tell me" says Sam scissoring his finger a little wider, punctuating every word with a sharp thrust of his fingers.

 

“Sammy please”

 

“Oh I can stop if it's too much”

 

“I’ll punch your pretty face if you don't fuck me right now"

 

Sam removes his fingers and lines his cock after he put a condom and a shit ton of lube. He teases Gabriel by pressing just the head against Gabriel’s hole. He can feel Gabriel’s impatience but the short man refuses to beg.

 

“I know u can do better.” says Sam just breaching Gabriel’s hole.

 

“Oh God Winchester fuck me already. Fuck me into next Sunday... Fuck me hard so I can feel you for the next two days... or slow and sweet but just fuck me already”

 

Sam smiles and slowly pushes into Gabriel’s body.

 

“So beautiful. You have to see it Gabe. Your ass eating my dick...” Sam touches Gabriel’s rim.  “swallowing it. And you flushed like a virgin...” He enters one of his fingers along his dick.

 

“Oh and there's more room for fun. Let's see if there is room for one more" he introduces another finger and start moving them around, searching.

 

“Awesome. Let's see if I can find it" and then Gabriel back arches. “there it is. What do you say Gabe. My dick or my fingers?” he asks, touching his prostate with every word

 

Gabe whimpers, all words long lost. He just cries.

 

“I’d think both." Sam teases, moving his dick in and out of Gabriel just an inch while relentlessly touching Gabriel’s prostate with his finger.

 

Sam never picks up the pace... he just slowly rocks Gabriel’s into a mad frenzy.

Gabriel is at the edge but  not quite there yet and he needs more.

 

“Sam... please... I"

 

“I got you Gabe" And after a few more strokes he removes his fingers and begins a hard and relentless pace. Giving Gabriel what he needs and stroking his dick at the same time. Gabriel comes after a few strokes, almost passing out. Sam keeps pounding into him for another minute and comes with a cry.

 

After several minutes Gabriel says “Revenge it's a dish better served cold”

 

Sam smiles and respond “I can't wait. Now let's clean you and cuddle. I'm tired babe"

 

Gabriel smiles and after cleaning himself, he curls against Sam.

 

While they are almost asleep Sam says “I love you Gabe. I’m sorry”

 

Gabriel smiles “Dork”

 

“ _Your_ dork.”

  
“Always. I love you too Samuel. Now let me sleep.”

 

* * *

 

Sam Winchester wakes up to a hot wet mouth around his shaft. He lays there, feeling the wonderful tongue do his magic.

 

“I won’t have sex with a corpse, Sammy. C’mon, wake up!” are the rushed words he manages to understand before the Gabriel’s lips are again working on his manhood.

 

Sam stretches and cards his fingers over Gabriel’s hair, “You were doing an amazing job, I didn’t want to interrupt you.”

 

“Welcome to the land of the living, my man. Now pass me the lub.” Gabe’s head pops up from in between Sam’s legs, “Unless you don’t bottom. That’s a deal breaker for me.” he seriously adds.

 

“So you’re saying that if I don’t put out you’ll leave.”

 

“What can I say, I won’t force you but I like what I like.”

 

Sam laughs and tosses him the lube, “I’m not a role, Gabe. I like mostly everything. Well, not everything, there are things I wouldn’t do. I don’t find being hurt or collared appealing. But I’m okay with pretty much everything else.”

 

“Mhm so no spanking and no collars.”

 

“Oh you can spank me… just not too hard.” Sam gives his permission with a wink.

 

Gabriel takes the lube and manages to drive Sam crazy for an hour till he’s a begging mess.

 

“You beg pretty, Winchester.”

 

“Gabe… please, c’mon…” Gabriel smiles wider and fucks him senseless in all his fours.

 

The headboard bangs against the wall, cracking so badly from time to time that they’re afraid they’d be breaking it. They decide they can buy a stronger bed later and continue with the banging. Literally.

 

The moans from both Sam and Gabriel are so loud that they don’t hear the bed cracking anymore. They orgasm a few seconds apart and collapse unceremoniously on the mattress in a tangle of simple cotton sheets that desperately cry for a jean circle on the washer.

 

Gabriel laughs out of the blue startling Sam. “You are a howler, Sam.” he states slapping his rear.

 

“I’m not!” Sam complains offended.

 

“Oh you are and I love it. But I think we’ll have to soundproof the walls or sell tickets downstairs.”

 

They cuddle laughing until the mess between them becomes cold and too much to bear.

 

“I need a shower, Sammy.” he declares wrinkling the nose at himself.

 

“Yeah, me too.”

 

The shower is slow and sensual but, as Gabe states, he’s not 20 and he’s equipment is out of comission for a while.

 

“You’re not old.” Sam comforts him.

 

“That’s what I keep telling myself, but my body doesn’t seem to get the memo.”

 

They dry each other and change the bed sheets, laying back in bed for a nap, Gabriel is dozing out when his phone chirps.

 

”Sorry, Sammy, I have to check this.” he unlocks his phone and smiles at the screen. “Should we go and see  your mom?” he asks Sam.

 

“Yeah, why not?” Sam agrees, opening only one eye.

 

“She will be thrilled. You told her anything?”

 

“I haven’t, but she’ll be delighted. Why?”

 

“She just texted me not to be late and to bring you with me.”

 

“Yeah, she’s something else. She always knows. She was the one that told me she knew I was gay and that it was alright, and that I didn’t have to bother coming out to her. I was 14.”

 

“Well, you were hard to miss. You were following me like a puppy and looking at me like I hang the moon…” Gabriel remembers with fondness.

 

“I was 13 and you were hot and older, of course I’d had a crush on you.”

 

“Well, the crush took over 20 years to develop into something else, but here we are at last.”

 

“Yes, Gabe, we finally made it.” Sam agrees, leaning up for a kiss.

 

The phone chirps again, reminding Gabe of something else he wants to share with Sammy. He browses his gallery and selects a picture, hiding the phone momentarily from Sam.

 

“There’s something I’ve been wanting to show you. Check this out, “ he shoves the phone in Sam’s face, “Our brothers are totally doing it!”

 

 

 

The end.

 

 


End file.
